The Heroine: War of Shadow
by Louiii
Summary: Sequel to 'The Heroine'. It's been two years since Ganondorf was defeated, but Hyrule is in danger again. An army is marching towards the land, led by an evil shadow, and the country needs its Heroine again... But where is she?
1. The Simple Telling of a Story

**So I hope you all liked 'The Heroine'! And, of course, I couldn't just leave it at that, so I made a sequel! I will say no more, simply, enjoy the next installment in the Tales of the Heroine! **

**//Loui**

* * *

**The Heroine: War Of Shadow**

_The Simple Telling of a Story… _

'And then, my little friends, as all hope seemed lost, our Hero picked up his sword…'

Two young children, a boy and a girl, were listening wide-eyed to an old man telling them a story, in the small town of Lake Town. The old man's eyes were gleaming as he gestured how the Hero picked up the weapon.

'…and struck it through the dark Lord!'

The children gasped and gave a start as the old man suddenly thrust his invisible sword into thin air, pretending it to be the Evil King. He then turned to the children again with a smile on his lips and made a dramatic pause. It was late afternoon, the sun was still warm on the bricks in the small town, where the children were sitting. The town was surrounded by a high wall, shielding it from the world outside. The market was about to close, and people were shouting at each other, each merchant trying to bring the towners to their shops. The town square was bustling with people, merchants and mere travelers stopping for a rest. The old man rested his eyes for a while on the children before continuing.

'Thus the Evil Shadow fell and the Golden Land of Hyrule returned to its peaceful and prosperous state. And the Hero, he lived happily ever after with his friends.'

The boy seemed content with how the story ended, but the girl jumped up and down on her seat, so eager to ask the old man something.

'But Mister, Sir! Sir, wasn't the Hero a girl?'

The old man's eyes widened as he heard her question, and then cracked a smile.

'Why you are quite right, my friend! The Hero was in fact a…Heroine!'

The little girl beamed, but the boy cried out in chock; '_What_?'

The girl turned to him grinning. 'You see big brother, girls can be heroes too!'

This caused the boy to run at her and they engaged a game of tag under lots of laughter.

The old man sighed happily, watching them. 'Ah, to be a child again…' he said to himself and rose from his seat on the brown bricks, the ground slightly dusty.

'…Yes, we're glad that's over, aren't we?'

The old man turned to the voice and discovered a man sitting upon a pair of crates, one leg dangling over the edge.

The old man broke into a smile by the sight of him. 'Oh, hello,' he said politely, 'I did not know my stories attracted the older ones too.'

The young man shifted on the boxes so that both his legs were dangling over the edge and supporting his weight on his arms.

'It was cute,' he said with a shrug, chewing on a long straw, picked it out, threw it away, and without looking at the man, added, 'I like how you did the ending.'

He then turned back to the man and gave another shrug. 'Well, I suppose you couldn't tell the kiddos the truth, eh?'

The old man surveyed the young man in front of him, from his black tousled hair with the front stripes in a peculiar reddish color, down the dark shirt, his big beige pants and finally down his black boots.

The old man raised an eyebrow. 'What truth?'

The man rose from the crates and paced forth to the old man. 'Oh, come on. You and I both know that's not how the story about the Heroine ends.'

The old man looked at him. 'So it is true then? The Heroine did not stay…'

The young man flicked a wooden splinter from his hand and continued without looking at the man.

'No. She did not stay in Hyrule. A few weeks, perhaps, but not more. She left, and has been missing for about two years now. Some say she's dead, others say she gave up her title as Heroine and is now only working for herself…'

---

Meanwhile, right outside the town, a figure hooded in black came riding up to the town gates. The stallion which she rode on was dark brown with a white mane, but was dirty, almost blackish, like its rider. He gave a sudden snort, trotting up the hill until his rider held him in.

The rider turned in her saddle, looking up at the sky and saw that twilight was upon them, and night would soon fall. She pulled the hood further down her shadowed face and pressed the sides of her stallion who jumped forth in a nervous trot but soon calmed down enough to pace through the gates to the town.

---

'Well, that is a fascinating story, my boy,' the old man said as he'd listened to what the young man had said. 'But,' he said and rose, 'I don't think it is something to be shared with the children.' He then turned and walked down the street into the creeping darkness. 'Much too grim,' he said, half to the man, half to himself.

The young man looked after him, still situated on the boxes, another wooden splinter in his hand. 'Couldn't agree more,' he muttered and flicked it away.

As it bounced of the dusty bricks he couldn't help to notice a pair of hooves pacing to halt a few meters away. He followed the dirty horse with his eyes until he finally looked upon the rider. It was a woman, he could make that much out of it, but her face was shadowed by a hood. But then, out of coincidence their eyes met, her dark blue ones and his dark brown ones. The man gave a slight frown, wondrous of the strange fire that seemed to burn in the girl's blue eyes. Only for a second, and then the girl turned her horse and vanished towards the stables.

The man looked after her, thoughtfully, barely aware of the fact that he was fumbling with another wooden splinter in his hands.

---

Far away, in a distant land, the sky was clouded. As the sun fell there was only a dark grayish tone over the sky; the rays of the last sun shut out.

It didn't take long before the rain started to fall.

The land was great, with an open field lying before a great castle, and before the castle lay a large city.

Suddenly a rider galloped over the plains, the hooves making a thundering noise, the sound somehow radiating how urgent the news was that the rider was carrying.

Two guards outside the city stopped him, asking for his identification and purpose of being in the city.

'Please,' the man said, showing his papers proving to them that he was a merchant, 'I must speak to the Queen!'

One of the guards looked up, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

'Yeah? What about?'

The merchant looked down at the guard. 'It is information too important to simply spill here on the street!'

The other guard moved in to block the merchant's way even more. 'Well, what can't be spilled here can't be spilled at the Queen,' he said in a stating tone.

'Please! I beg you!' the merchant pleaded.

'Is there a problem here?' a voice suddenly demanded from behind the guards. They both spun around surprised, raising their hands in a salute.

Behind them sitting upon a great grey mare, was a man, in his mid-twenties with short brown hair and light blue eyes, and clad in royal armor. His status of importance was increased even more as he had a dark blue cape draped over his silver armor.

'General Lian!' one of the guards exclaimed.

He raised an eyebrow. 'Well?'

The guard looked uneasy. '…Ah…Well, we were…'

'…Letting this man through, I hope,' the general finished for him. He rode up beside the merchant. 'Good day sir, my name is Chase Lian.'

'Ah… pleased to m-meet you, Sir,' the merchant said, somewhat uneasy over the situation.

'You may come this way,' Chase said and his horse paced off, but before doing so, he turned to the guards.

'If he turns out to be a threat to the Queen I will handle it. But do not act out of suspicion like that. These are peaceful times now.'

The guards nodded and turned back to their posts again. General Chase looked backed at the merchant and smiled, driving his horse to a pace, towards the castle, and whispered something to himself.

'Hyrule is at peace now.'

---

It was night over Lake Town, and the small city was sleeping, except for the people sitting in the local bar. The drunken men roared with laughter at something the bartender had said, and then kept talking and joking about something only drunken men would have laughed at.

The newly arrived woman was sitting on the edge of the bar, drinking from a small glass with something strong in it.

She had cast away the hood, and had revealed her face. It was beautiful; her skin was pale and soft, but still hardened with grief and pain. Her hair was blond, cut short around her forehead to then fall out on her back, and her eyes had the deepest color of blue.

She was unaware of that the young man from before was standing in the shadows, leaning to the wall, arms folded, watching her.

As the girl had finished her drink she tossed a coin to the bartender and left the bar, but she was not only followed by the dark eyes of the young man, but also of the hazed, but hungry eyes of some of the drunken men.

As the door to the bar slammed shut behind her, some of the gloomiest-looking men started whispering and grinning at each other in a slug way. They soon got to their legs, wobbling a bit, but like the girl, walked out the bar.

Only the bartender reacted.

'Oi, boys! Where'd you goin' there?'

One of the men turned and gave him a grin.

'Ah, no worries, Slim! Jus' out for a littl' fun, that' all!'

He then left at laughter from the other men. The bartender, Slim, sighed and went back to polishing one of the dirty glasses.

The young man in the shadows, who had been chewing once again on a wooden splinter, suddenly turned it to the other corner in his mouth and walked out the shadows. Pulling his cloak tighter around himself he walked out into the dark night.

The streets were empty, saved for an old dog that slowly wagged the street. The young woman strode over the streets, her dark mood suddenly scaring the dog that wagged off as fast as he could into a dark alley.

The woman seemed to hold something under her cloak, attached to her hip, like a sword. Suddenly she stopped, sensing someone behind her. She slowly turned to face two of the drunk men from the bar.

They grinned at her. 'Well, missy, where's you be goin' 'tis late, eh?'

The girl ignored the man's taunt as she looked behind her and saw the rest of the men blocking her path. She was surrounded. However, the girl wasn't afraid as she looked back at the man that had laid the comment.

The man beside him laughed and took a few steps forward.

'Why don't ya show us what's under tat' cloak of yours now?'

It was then the girl suddenly gave a grin as she looked back with a strong gaze.

'With pleasure.'

Then she cast away the cloak, revealing a sword, with a blue hilt proud with a ruby, and the blade as clear as a lightning.

She twisted it around in her hand, narrowing her eyes against the first man who hesitated only a second before running against her with a roar.

The girl stood firm, reading the man. He was drunk, and not a particular good fighter. So she merely stepped aside as he charged at her, and quick as a lightning thrust her sword down. She merely touched the man's leg, but at his speed it caused a great wound as he ran into the blade. He shrieked out in pain, immediately losing his footing and fell to the ground.

The girl planted her foot at the man's stomach, pointing her sword to his neck.

'Think again before following a girl in the night,' she said. But the man wouldn't listen; instead he called out to his buddies.

'Oi! What're you standing ther' for!? Get her!'

The girl looked up daring at the men that were too drunk to understand the risk and rushed her. She stepped off the man and swung her sword around her once, before beginning the battle.

The young man was standing in the shadows, watching the girl fight. She was good. Very good. They were three to one, but she avoided them very easy, using her sword with great skill. She knew exactly were to hit them were it hurt, and soon they all lay on the ground saved for one, who the girl had at her mercy, holding her sword around his neck.

'Now lucky for you I don't kill,' she hissed, still as calm as before. Then she looked at the man that appeared to be their leader, as he still lay on the ground holding his leg.

'Now get out of here.'

They didn't move.

'NOW!'

The girl suddenly lost her temper and shoved the man she'd held her sword against out of her way. The men slowly stood and then ran away, limping and whining.

The girl didn't even look after them as she thrust her sword back into its sheath, attached to her hip. She turned, only to walk straight into the dark-haired young man who had been watching her. But she quickly regained her balance, backed a few steps, holding the hilt of her sword.

'Hey there, pretty lady,' he smiled.

'I thought I told you guys to get lost,' she said darkly. The man merely gave a smile.

'No, no, no. Thankfully I believe I have a better key to your heart than their method,' he said in an amused tone. The girl loosened her grip of her sword, as she surveyed the man. He was not one of the men she'd just met, he was much younger, only a few years older than her, with eastern features and tanned skin. He was also, she noticed, very handsome.

'Isn't that so?' the man asked, looking at her. The girl, quickly renewing her grip on her sword, took a step back, suspicious. She was slim, her blond hair pulled back from her face into a plait, which had the effect that her eyes seemed to shine out of her face. A raw wind caught her dark red shirt, which she wore over a pair of black leggings, sending the shirt dancing around her slim torso.

'Get lost,' she said, picking up her cloak from the ground. The man grinned, watching her.

'So that was quite a show,' the man said, impressed. 'How old are you? Seventeen? Where'd you learn to fight like that?'

The girl turned away from him and started walking away, fully ignoring him.

The man looked at her as she walked away.

'Alright then. Then where did you get that sword?'

To his question, the girl stopped dead. She slowly turned around.

'What do you mean?' she asked, narrowing her eyes towards him.

The man rose his eyebrow and took a few steps forward, eyeing the sword that the girl held in a tight grip.

'I mean…' his eyes traveled from the sword, up her body, towards her eyes, 'Where did you buy it?'

The girl's expression turned even fiercer.

'I didn't steal it, if that's what you're implying,' she said darkly.

The man took another step closer, surveying her at close. He was now so close; the girl could feel his breath at her forehead.

'… Or course not. Why would you?'

Turning his back to her, he took a few steps away.

'There's just…'

He turned around again, but fell silent.

The girl was gone.

Giving a sigh, he let his eyes linger for a moment at the spot where she had been standing, and suddenly spotted her cloak still on the ground. He bent down and picked it up when something suddenly fell out of it. Something small and shiny. Looking thoughtfully at it for a moment, he then folded the cloak and bent down to pick it up. It was a small round object. Made out of gold, no doubt, he realized. A medal. He looked at the insignia; three triangles shaped to form one big triangle. The man knew this sign. It was the golden power of the ancient Kingdom Hyrule.

The Triforce.

The man looked up after the girl and smiled, closing his palm over the medal.

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**Well, what do you think of the first chapter? Good, bad, confusing? Please review! **


	2. Dark Times on the Doorstep

**The Heroine: War of Shadow**

_Dark Times on the Doorstep_

The wind was blowing strong as the last rays of the sun set in Hyrule. The raining had ceased, and all that was left of the foul weather was the drops of water falling from the leaves of the trees.

On top of a hill just outside the great Castle stood a young man. He was wearing blue leggings with a light shirt over, as he stood with arms folded, gazing into the sun.

The wind caught his blond hair, blowing it around his head, while his eyes were closed. He suddenly opened them to reveal them in a deep shade of red, as he sensed that someone was standing beside him.

He didn't move or acknowledge the woman beside her as she, like him, stood and gazed at the sun, her hands clasped together, smiling softly.

She seemed to be a figure of importance, since she wore a dark blue dress with the golden emblem of the Triforce on the skirt and on her chest the Insignia of the Royal Family, and on her head she wore a slim silver crown.

For she was the Queen of Hyrule, Zelda.

'What are you thinking about?' she suddenly asked the man beside her.

The man finally broke his gaze and dropped his eyes to the dark shadows of the field outside.

'You know what I'm thinking about,' he replied in a soft, but sad voice.

Zelda gave a soft smile and reached out with her hand to touch his cheek, lifting his head up to look into her eyes.

'Sheik. It will be all right. I promise you.'

'Your Highness?' A voice suddenly called behind them, and they both turned to see a guard standing in the doorway of the castle.

'Yes?' Zelda asked.

'There is someone here to see you. Someone with… urgent news.'

Zelda moved to walk into the castle again, but then she stopped and turned to Sheik.

The man was of the race of Sheikah, a race near to extinction, but had on sooner time recovered and was now living in the far south. He stood still by the hill, his figure giving such a radiation of grief and sadness that Zelda had to go forth and place a reassuring arm on his shoulder.

'Come. I want you to hear this.'

The Sheikah turned to her, the wind catching the light stripes of hair hanging down his forehead. He followed the Queen to the Castle.

As they entered, the merchant stood a few meters from them, looking a bit uneasy as he took in the enormous Royal Hall he stood in. As the guard announced the Queen he turned and at the sight of her quickly fell to the floor in a bow.

Sheik took to the shadows of the room, a place he'd got used to stand in on late.

Zelda walked forth to the merchant and placed a hand on his arm. 'Please, rise,' she said friendly to him. The merchant did so, still uneasy.

'Now tell me,' Zelda said, still in her kind tone. Her manners to all folk were one of the many sides she had that made her as a Queen popular with all people. 'Tell me what is heaving you heart down.'

'An army, Your Highness!' he suddenly blurted out. She turned to look slightly surprised at the man.

'A what?' Sheik asked, suddenly stepping out of the shadows. The merchant jumped in start, clearly very nervous by his own news.

'An army, under the command of a shadow! Thousands and thousand of wicked men gathering under one dark banner.' he whispered. Zelda exchanged a glance with Sheik.

'Where did you get this information?' Sheik asked him, taking a step forward, eyeing him with an intent gaze.

'I overheard a fellow merchant talking about it. Scared out of his wits, he was,' the merchant said, nodding.

'So you haven't seen this for yourself, then?' Sheik said, raising an eyebrow.

The merchant realized that the Sheikah did not believe him.

'No, my Lord! You don't understand! This army… is commanded by a shadow!'

Sheik straightened up with a confused expression in his face. 'Excuse me?'

'A shadow …_the_ shadow of… of the Evil King!' he whispered quietly.

It took a moment for Sheik to understand what the man had said.

'The Evil King? Wait, Ganondorf?'

The merchant flinched at the sound of the name. Sheik looked at him incredulous. 'He's sealed in the Realm, locked by the Power of the Sages. It's impossible!'

'No, it's not.'

It was Zelda who suddenly spoke from her spot by the window.

A moment of silence followed, as Sheik looked at his long time friend.

She turned to the merchant and with a kind tone thanked him for the news and he turned to leave. She then turned back to Sheik. She gave a sigh.

'This is not the first time I've received reports of an army. A great army is massing under the shadow of Ganondorf.'

'But it's impossible!' Sheik repeated.

'Again, it isn't.' She turned to look out the window. 'He is still sealed in the Realm, but it is still possible for him to communicate with the world. If he has someone to lead the troops for him and communicate with him. Someone…on the inside,' she quietly said and turned.

Sheik looked at her. 'Why haven't you told me this before?' he asked, disappointed at her.

'Because,' she said with a sad smile, 'you have enough problems as it is already.'

Sheik looked at her for a moment, sadness coming into his eyes again, and then looked down at the ground. He knew she was right. He had his own problems.

'Ah… Excuse me?' a voice said from the doorway. Zelda turned to see the merchant still standing in the doorway.

'Yes?'

'Um, I almost forgot,' he said with an excusing smile at her, 'but I have more news for Her Highness.'

Sheik looked up from the ground to look at the merchant again, but he was looking at the Queen with a slight smile.

'She's been found,' he said, relieved.

Zelda looked at him, eyes widened in surprise, but Sheik had a look of confusion in his face.

'Found who?' he asked.

'Her,' the merchant repeated, a wide smile on his lips, 'The Heroine!'

---

The woman led out the dark horse. He'd been groomed a bit to give a hint that his fur was probably brown, more to the reddish tone, and his mane and tail light grey or white, but much darker in the roots.

It was barely morning, as if the sun had just awoken and giving a yawn to stretch out the very first rays by the horizon.

She stopped for a moment, gazing into the grey sky that lightened up where the sun was rising. Then she turned her head in the other direction, where the sky was still dark grey.

A depressing sight, but that was were she was heading. She looked around. There was no one in sight, it was much too early to be out in the streets at this time of the day. She sighed, and pulled the reins over the horse's head when she heard something.

It was a faint noise, the sound of something metallic flipping through the air. Like a coin.

She turned, only to find that once again she was looking at the dark-haired young man in front of her. He was leaning to a stonewall of one of the houses, wearing a red shirt over his black pants. He was holding something golden in his palm that he flipped frequently through the air, like tossing a coin.

The girl narrowed her eyes at the sight of him, still suspicious of his intentions.

'Hello again, pretty lady,' he said, with a charming grin on his lips. She suppressed a snort and ignored him.

'So, tell me…' he said, following the coin with his eyes as it twirled through the air, 'you came here just last night, and now you're leaving?'

He paused, but the girl did not reply, she merely fastened a bag to the horse's saddle, so the man continued.

'So the question is, why?' He caught the flipping coin but didn't send it flying again, instead he closed his palm around it. 'Are you merely moving along like this lone…ranger,' he paused a while before saying it, as if trying to figure out what she was before saying it, 'or are you merely running because you don't like questions about your past?'

The girl, who had moved on the fixing the stirrups merely shot a black look at the man before continuing to ignore him.

The man sighed and leaned to the wall again, surveying the 'coin' in his hand.

'Alright then, mystery woman, let's try with another question. Like…' he paused, thinking for a moment.

He turned to look at the girl again. 'What was it like…' he began, then pausing for a moment, surveying the girl intense, waiting for her reaction to the words he soon would speak.

'…Killing Ganondorf?'

The girl stopped dead from fixing the stirrups and dropped them, causing them to bump into the side of her horse, who jumped forward by the sudden surprise. As the horse leapt forward, it served no longer as a wall between the man and the woman, and he could see more than well that his question had caught her by surprise.

He grinned and held up the 'coin' that actually was the medal he'd found earlier, towards the girl so that she could see what it was. He looked at it, and then back at the girl who had frozen in her motions.

'It's… Link, isn't it?'

Finally the girl seemed to find herself. By the sound of her name she suddenly seemed to straighten up to her full length, the features of grief and anger in her face seemed to fade and be replaced with honour and courage. For she was Link, known as the Heroine in all lands that knew of Hyrule, and the main character in the old man's story the day before.

'Give it back,' she said darkly, referring to the medal. It was a medal attached to a band of dark blue and with a silver lining around it. It was the medal she'd received when she'd saved Hyrule and cast down the King of Evil, Ganondorf, imprisoning him forever in a realm beyond knowing.

But the man ignored her, just like she had ignored him and instead he nodded to the horse, who'd stopped a few feet away and was now, with great interest, eyeing the fruit stand from the day before that hadn't been packed away over the night.

'So that's the horse? What's his name, Epone?'

But Link wouldn't have his ignorance and unsheathed her sword, walking up to him with firm steps.

'I said, give it back!'

But the man was prepared and countered her attack with a long knife he'd drawn from a holding on his back by the speed of a lightning. The girl's blade crashed into it, but he had no problems standing up to her, his strength greater than hers. He grinned at her, and gently pushing her sword away, trailing his finger alongside her cheek. She narrowed her eyes, giving a snort and violently pushed his hand away.

'Now, now, don't hurt yourself, there,' he grinned, his tone amused.

'What do you want, anyway?' she asked him fiercely, giving a quick glance at the medal as she did.

'I want,' he began, sheathing his knife back on his back again, where a second knife also rested, along with a quiver of arrows. The bow he didn't have, however, at least not with him at that time.

'I want to know why you left. I mean, why not stay in Hyrule, where you are loved by practically everyone? Why put on this mask of hiding when you have a home to return to? Why leave…for nothing?'

Link let her hand with the sword fall to her side as she looked at the man in bewilderment.

'Are you from… Hyrule?' she asked after a minute of silence.

Suddenly the man grinned. 'Now, now, honey. You answer my questions and I might answer yours.' Then he looked at the medal and back at Link. 'Until then, I think I might hold on to this.'

Then he made a back flip, bounced at the wall he was leaning on, grabbed on to a branch of a tree and swung himself up.

'What makes you think that'll keep me here?' she asked, nodding at the medal still in his hand.

But the man merely grinned and winked for reply and vanished in the tree.

Link stood looking after the man a few moments, then came back from her thoughts as Epone gave a soft snort and buffed on her shoulder, wanted for her to scratch her on his neck.

Link gave a shrug at her thoughts and suddenly grinned, amused by herself for actually considering the words the man had said.

Epone buffed again and Link let her hand run down from the small white dot on his forehead, the white making a contrast from his other red-brownish fur the horse had as a coat.

Then she took the reins again and turned Epone round to face the dark clouds in the south again. Suddenly she stopped, feeling uneasy.

_Why leave…for nothing?_

The man's words were practically printed in her mind. And then the medal. Had she left Hyrule… for nothing?

But then suddenly she was filled with anger. Who was he to barge in on her and tell her what to do? He had no idea what was behind it all… why she'd left.

Yes, she had left Hyrule. For two years she'd been wandering the lands, working as a mercenary. She'd left because…. Because she'd died in Hyrule. After her fight with Ganondorf, after she'd cast him down, she had not survived. She died. But there was some power beyond her knowing that had brought her back.

But you cannot live on in a place that had caused you your death…or so much pain. How could you live on like nothing had happened?

As Epone buffed on her again, Link was brought back from her thoughts. She looked up, standing in the town square with Epone, morning now upon them.

What was that man talking about? Hyrule was at peace now; it did not need the Heroine anymore. Why did she have to stay then? Why couldn't she had left for her own good?

Filled with anger Link realized she was going to get back her medal.

And she didn't care if the man got hurt on the way.

_---_

'You did _what?_'

'I began looking for Link, yes.'

'Why didn't you tell me!?' Sheik followed Zelda through the corridors of the Castle, for the first time in a very long time furious with his friend.

Zelda suddenly stopped and turned to him. They were, ironically, in the Corridor of the Hero, where there were paintings and various statues of the Heroine and Heroes before that. Although, there only existed one painting of the Heroine, since she left only a few weeks after she had saved the land.

'I did not tell you, Sheik, because you didn't have to know,' she said. 'Even if you want her back or not, it cannot affect this choice.'

Sheik was taken aback by her words. But they were true.

Sheik and Link had been in love, but it didn't go very far on account of how she left so suddenly. And Sheik never found out why she'd left, because she never told him. Since then, Sheik had been torn with his feelings. True, now some time had passed, but everyday his love for her got stronger, and thereby the pain of loss for her grew.

But then he was sad and betrayed by her leave taking, and that part wasn't so sure of if he wanted to see Link again.

He looked towards Zelda again, calmer now.

'Don't you see, Sheik?' Zelda said in a softer tone. 'It does not have to do with you two. This country needs Link.'

She took a step closer to him.

'Hyrule is in danger.'

---

The man sat on the top of a roof, studying the medal. The rising sun reflected in it, making the Triforce carved in it glow. The Golden Power.

Suddenly the man was shadowed from behind and the medal lost its glow. The tip of a sword was pointed to his throat.

'Get up,' Link said in a grim voice. The man looked up and gave a grin.

'Well, hello, yet again. Funny how we keep running into each other. We might as well introduce ourselves,' he gave another wink. 'Well, since I already know your name, don't you want to know mine?'

'No.' The blade pressed harder to the man's throat and he got to his feet.

'It's Kratos,' he said, just as if she'd said yes, and gave a shrug. 'So you're ready to tell me? Spill the story for this?' He held up the medal.

Link lowered her sword and looked at him, but her gaze was still somewhere else. 'Some things still means something to me.' He frowned at her words, but then she focused her eyes at the man again. 'How the hell did you find out it was me?'

He gave a laugh. 'Come on, you haven't figured it out yet?'

He looked down at her sword. 'Your first mistake was wielding that sword in the open. Only a fool would not recognize the Master Sword when waved in your own face.' He suddenly grinned. 'I always wondered what happened to that sword. People say it was taken up to the Goddesses again. But apparently, you stole it.'

Link shot him an impatient look and he continued, 'And then you dropped the medal. I am not a stupid man, you know.'

Link turned her gaze to the rising sun instead and gave a tired sigh. 'No, why would you be?'

Kratos ignored her sarcastic remark and took a step towards her, bringing Link's attention back to him, suspicious. Raising her sword again, she looked at him.

'Why do you want to know?' she asked. 'About why I left.'

He gave a grin. 'Simple. Curiosity.'

Link merely muttered to answer and turned to the rising sun.

'Hey, if they send me out looking for you I at least want to get some questions,' he said with a shrug and leaned onto his bow, which he now had with him, surveying the girl. She stood straight, arms folded, her slender figure lit up by the sun. Her blond hair got caught in a soft breeze, sending it flying around her pale grey sweater that was too big for her, falling a good deal over her black pants. It could not help but overwhelm Kratos with her sad beauty, just like the first time he's seen her.

'So they actually sent someone looking for me.' She gave a laugh, but there was no humor in it. Then she turned to him, arms folded, and snapped, 'Why?'

He straightened up, a grin on his face. 'Now I told you, honey,' he said and watched with amusement as Link's expression turned to anger by his tone, 'You answer my questions and I just might answer yours.'

Link sighed and turned to the sun again. A long moment of silence followed.

'I suppose they never told you what happened after Ganondorf was defeated.'

The man was silent, waiting for her to continue. She turned her face to him.

'How I died.'

Kratos raised his eyebrows. 'Uh…no.'

'That's what I thought,' she said grim and turned back to the sun. 'I don't expect you to understand, but if you did, you'd know that it's impossible to pick up the threads of a life that was supposed to end. I could not live on in a place where everyday I saw the place where my soul had left me. To see what was supposed to be my…doom.'

'So how'd you come back to life?' he asked.

'…I don't know,' Link replied quietly.

Kratos surveyed her for a while, and then looked down the coin. Finally he tossed it to her and she caught it, holding it tight in her palm.

He nodded towards it, 'Zelda says hi.'

This caused Link to look up at him at once. 'You _have _been to Hyrule.'

The man smiled. 'Sure. Everyone's worried big-time about you, Zelda, who's a Queen now, by the way, and that farm-kid, what's his name…Gimel, too.' Then he gave a shrug. 'And that other guy's a mess.'

The blade was at the man's throat by the flash of a second.

'Sheik?'

Kratos could have sworn there was a slight tremble in Link's dark voice. He raised an eyebrow.

'…Yeah, that's his name.'

It was as if Link could not stand holding the man's gaze and she looked down. She gave a sigh and turned her head to the sun again, her thoughts far away. Kratos surveyed her with his dark eyes, until Link changed the subject.

'So why did they send you for me?'

'Oh, you know,' the man said and shrugged, 'the usual stuff that happens when the country needs their Heroine back. A massive army of evil moving towards the country, threatening the whole existence of peace.'

Link turned, her expression shocked and took a step back.

'What did you say?'

Kratos fixed his gaze on her, his expression now wearing no sign of the grin he had before.

'Hyrule…' he said, '….is not well.'

* * *

**Hello everyone! Please review if you have any questions!**


	3. Memories

**Hey everyone! Finally, school is calming down before Xmas, and I've had time to update! Whoopee! Anyway, hope you'll enjoy this chapter! And for all you Gimel-lovers out there (you know who you are :P) I'm pleased to announce that he is BACK!! Woho! Enjoy! **

**The Heroine: War of Shadow**

_Memories_

Link sat in the window in her room at the town's inn, looking out in the night. Lake Town was now quiet, the only source of light was the moonlight. A cat suddenly trotted over the ground, its paws making a soft sound against the bricks. Link heaved a sigh.

So Hyrule needed her again. But could she really return, after what she did? Or more importantly, could she return, after she'd left? There was a reason she did not live in Hyrule, after all.

But no one really knew _why. _What she'd told Kratos earlier that day was only part of the whole story. She sighed and looked down.

Before she ever came to Hyrule, she'd been living in a village outside the kingdom. She'd been living with her brother, since her parents had died when she was just a baby. He'd raised her and taught her almost everything she knew. And Link looked up to him. He was her role model, her… family.

Then, as the dark times brewed, with Ganondorf as the Evil King, the news suddenly spread that Ganondorf was looking for the Hero. He wanted to kill him.

Then, as time passed, more news came to the village. The Hero Ganondorf was looking for was a boy named Link.

Link, her brother and the entire village was shocked. The old legend of the Hero could simply not involve their Link. Their Link was a _girl_.

But then, as word spread that the Evil King was heading to their village, they were not so sure anymore. Could Link possibly be the Hero? The Heroine?

It was then her brother had decided to take on the identity of Link, until things had calmed down a little. But even as her brother had taught Link everything she knew about fighting, not even he could stand up to Ganondorf as he came to the village.

He was killed. Killed as easy as the smallest of insects.

Suddenly everything Link had cared about was pulled away from her. She hid in her coat of grief and vanished into the woods of the village, and never showed her face there again.

She knew she couldn't care for anyone she had cared for her brother. She loved her brother, but it had hurt so immensely to have him killed before her own eyes.

At least, that's how she felt before she met Sheik. Sheik was everything Link wanted. Soft, understanding and wise. He always knew what to do.

No wonder she fell in love with him. And she still loved him. But one thing had changed.

Link looked up at the sky again, her dark blue eyes suddenly filled with tears.

As Link had fought the Evil King Ganondorf she had been faced with a choice. In order to kill Ganondorf she had to sacrifice Sheik. If not, not only would Sheik die, but also Link and the entire world.

But just the thought of that choice brought so much pain to Link that she almost started crying by that. Now it was that Sheik had been saved in the last moment, but still, the knowledge of how much pain it had caused her reminded her of the promise she'd made to herself as her brother had died.

She could not care for anyone, or she'd only get hurt.

That's why she'd left. She could not handle that pain. Not yet. She had only been fifteen. She was way too young to handle it. But even now she knew about her mistake. For everyday the love for Sheik grew stronger and the pain of missing him.

She knew someday she would return to Hyrule…. but now?

Was she ready to face Sheik? Face him… her only love?

---

Little did she know that Sheik, far away, was thinking of the same thing, gazing at the moon, as he stood on the same hill he'd been standing on that morning.

But he was not thinking of why she'd left, but when.

The memory played over and over in his head, and he could not think of anything else. He finally surrendered and looked down in the ground, the memory once again filling him.

_It was night, and Sheik was walking through the courtyard of the castle. When he came to an archway he stopped, leaning to the stonewall as he saw Link in front of him. She sat on a bench, wearing a pair of big dark blue pants, and a tight sweater, revealing her slender figure. Her hair hung loosely, and as she discovered Sheik her blue eyes lit up just like they did only when she saw Sheik. But there was still something sad about her. _

_Sheik stepped towards her, sitting down on the bench beside her. As he did, Link suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned to his chest, cuddling up to him. _

_Sheik let his hand run through her light hair, but the motion made him surprised. 'What's the matter?' _

_Link looked up._

'_It's just…' she started, then her voice trailed off, and she buried her face into his shirt, mumbling something. Sheik gave a smile, catching himself wondering how this cute and innocent thing could be so strong and fierce when she wanted. _

_He reached out and put her chin between his thumb and index finger, lifting her gaze to him, and was alarmed to see the sadness and pain in her eyes. _

'_Tell me,' he said softly. _

_Link gave a sigh, gathering herself. Then she looked up at Sheik with her blue eyes. _

'_I have to leave,' she said slowly. _

_Sheik looked at her; completely unable to understand her words, as easy as she'd put them. _

'_What? Where?' he asked as Link slipped out of his grip, standing up, pacing to the window, looking out over Hyrule. _

'_It just… It doesn't feel right,' she said to the night. _

_She felt Sheik behind her as he'd paced up to her, and he put a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. There were tears in her eyes, as she lifted her gaze to him. _

'_What doesn't feel right?' he asked, in the softest voice Link had ever heard him use. He could sense there was something bad to what she was saying, and it was as if he could make it vanish by just being soft to it. But Link saw it and could not help to control it as the tears started streaming down. But she couldn't tell him. She couldn't tell him the real reason. It just hurt too damn much. _

'_I died, Sheik!' she suddenly exclaimed, her tone causing Sheik to take a step back. She could not believe that she was going to lie to him. She didn't deserve him, if she couldn't tell him the truth. _

'_And…' Link calmed down to look at him again, 'and it hurts. To live here, knowing what happened. It's like I can't escape it.' _

_She looked out the window again. 'That's why I have to leave,' she said quietly. 'I have to think for a while.' _

A while. Sheik gave an ironic smile to himself as he stood on the hill in the night. That little 'while' had turned out to be two years now. But he still had that odd feeling. He knew Link better than that. Was that really why she had left?

He also remembered when Link left Hyrule. It had been raining…

_Link stood with Epone by her side, who snorted a bit irritated over the fact that the heavy rain kept prickling into his ears. Beside them stood Zelda who, despite the rain, looked like a goddess, with her dark coloured dress and brown coat over. In fact, one would've believed that she was not from this world, if it wasn't for the fact that her dress was soaked by her feet, caused by the rain. Link looked at her, and it was as if Zelda could read her mind. _

'_He will be here,' she said, referring to Sheik. Link had told him that she would leave in the morning the following the day. _

'_No, he won't,' Link replied sadly. And she was right. Sheik was never late. Unless he didn't intend to come, that is. And that's exactly what it was. Sheik was not coming that morning to say good bye to Link. It tore Link's heart open, but she did not show it to Zelda. _

_But what they didn't know, was that Sheik was there, only he was hid behind the trees, watching Link and Zelda from afar. The truth was that he was not sure he could handle a good bye to Link. He looked down, feeling his eyes burn and something thick in his throat. He realised that he was crying. _

_The tears ran down slowly his face as he watched Zelda give a rare moment of humanity as she threw her arms around Link, tears running down her cheeks. _

_Link hugged her back, but soon they parted as Link mounted Epone and with a nod to Zelda she turned the horse and slowly disappeared in the greenish blur the rain created when mixed with the colour from the grass. _

_And then she was gone. _

---

_Hyrule is not well. _

The words echoed in Link's head as she was once again leading Epone out the stables in early dawn. So a great army was massing against Hyrule. She stopped for a moment. Two years had passed, and she was definitely not the same Link anymore. After all this time, she'd turned into a closed, fierce warrior. What would people say?

She looked at the sun, just like the morning before and sighed. Because she was going back. If Hyrule needed her, she would return. But after that, would she stay? She shook her head, sighing. Why did things have to be so difficult?

It was then she heard a small voice in her head. _It's your own fault. _

Link looked up to the sun, the rays of the sun warming her. Then she mounted Epone, taking the reins and trotted out of the town. It was as if the little voice inside her smiled satisfied.

_It's time to go home. _

_---_

Epone slowed to a pace, and as Link squeezed the left rein he lowered his head, taking stronger steps in his walk. Link looked up to the horizon, where you could hint something dark. It was the great forest of Hyrule, which surrounded the kingdom.

Epone came to a halt as Link gazed at the forest. She'd been riding for a good part of the day, and from now on it was a four-day ride to Hyrule at her speed.

As she gazed at the woods she smiled as she recalled Sheik telling her about the woods. Its name was Èred Lúin, he'd told her.

The image of Sheik hit Link as a cold shower. What was she supposed to say to him? He probably hated her guts by now, she imagined.

Then with a sigh, she drove Epone to a pace down the hill. Suddenly she realised something. Even if she wanted to or not, she was the Heroine, and it was her duty to serve Hyrule.

No matter _who _cared.

She clicked her tongue and Epone, ears pricked forward, jumped off in gallop. Twilight would soon be upon them and Link did not want to set camp in the valley.

---

Gimel was a man of Hyrule. He lived in this land, and had been born on the Lon Lon Ranch, living there his whole life.

His mother had died when he was only a baby and it broke his father's heart so he eventually killed himself. It led to Gimel being raised by his uncle who ran the ranch.

Now his uncle was dead. Ambushed by robbers on his way delivering milk. A hard blow for Gimel, sure, but time healed his wounds. It always did. Well, mostly.

At least, that's what he was thinking as he was watching Sheik ride one of his new mares, a dark grey one with a long mane. Her neck was arched and she trotted with high steps, although avoiding the pressure from Sheik as he pressed at her side, as she trotted to her side. She was untamed, and real challenge.

But Gimel was not really concentrating of how the horse moved. Well, he had, but now he was instead looking at Sheik. The Sheikah gave no sign of it, but Gimel guessed what he was really thinking of. Link. If there was one wound time could never heal, it was Sheik's wound after Link.

Suddenly, the mare stopped in front of him. Sheik held her in a soft grip with the reins, keeping the slender horse at bay as she pranced around, looking nervous.

'Well, what do you think?'

Gimel looked up to him. Now, at age eighteen, Gimel was the one running the ranch, although you could hardy call it a ranch anymore. There were not many animals besides horses. Gimel had kept a few animals that he knew was his uncle's favourites. Like one cow, the damn most stubborn cow Gimel had ever seen, but it had managed to capture his uncle's heart and he respected that. And he'd also kept a couple of hens, there were good to have.

But other than that, Gimel's job was nowadays to raise and take care of horses. He was in charge of taking care of the Hyrule armies' horses; see that they did not injure themselves while grazing on a great field beyond the castle, where they stayed when there was not a war.

His passion for the animals begun when he'd first set eyes upon the mighty stallion Epone, that now was Link's. He was amazed by how beautiful the horses could be, and brought a desire for him to breed them on his own.

It was also his decision to what horses he would keep and which ones he would sell. Although he never wanted to sell anyone.

'She's alright,' he said and walked forth to pet the mare's muzzle.

'You can tell she's Tzadek's half sister,' Sheik said, nodding to another horse that Gimel was having in a rope. The horse was the one Gimel had had for a very long time, his favourite horse, as she was a slender and beautiful mare in a light beige colour with a long white mane.

The other mare, the grey one Sheik was riding, was very similar in the body, but with different colour. The horses shared the same mother but had a different father.

'But…' Sheik said as the mare he was sitting on gave a high-pitched whine as she pulled away from the frightening boy, 'I'm afraid she has taken her temper from her father.'

Gimel nodded. Her father, one of the stallions on his ranch had a nervous temper and it did indeed seem like the mare had inherited it.

'So she's a keeper?' Sheik asked.

'Yeah, she's a keeper,' Gimel said and walked back to Tzadek, who put her head over the boy's shoulder. 'And she's yours.'

Sheik looked up. 'What?'

'You and that horse work together. I don't think anyone else could ride a horse as nervous as that, saved for you. I want you to have her as… as thanks for the help with the ranch.'

Indeed, after Link had left, there was not much for Sheik to do as he had helped Gimel in running the ranch when he was alone. Sheik smiled.

'Thank you,' he said.

'She's yours to name to,' Gimel said, 'so you better think of something smart.'

A sudden bang and a shriek from a horse caught their attention. Gimel sighed frustrated. 'Aw, nuts, not Angel again.'

No sooner than he said it, a small horse, by the age of two, came galloping around the corner, whinnying the wits out of himself. It was not full grown yet, but nevertheless, beautiful. It was very much like Epone in the colour, dark red with long white mane, but the body was more slender, more beautiful. It gave a frustrated snort as he saw Gimel.

'That horse,' Gimel sighed, 'is wilder than his father ever was.'

Angel gave a snort and trotted up to his mother, Tzadek, who gave a soft whinny.

'I think,' Sheik said with a slight smile on his lips, dismounting his horse, 'Epone would have one or two things to say about that.'

'Oh, come on,' Gimel said, taking a rope from the pocket of his pants, 'Epone was wild as a foal, but not like this guy.' He gave a nod to Angel, and went forth to the horse with the rope in his other hand, ready to tie him. But the young horse saw him coming, and with a high-pitched shriek tore himself away and trotted away towards Sheik. With a calming voice, the Sheikah placed his hand upon his neck and the horse instantly calmed, snorting bored.

Gimel muttered something under his breath as he tied the young horse with the rope, but instantly regretted it as Angel snapped after his fingers.

Sheik gave a grin and started walking his new horse to the stables. Gimel followed him on the other side of the horse, with Tzadek and Angel beside him.

A minute of silence followed.

'So do you ever wonder about it?' Gimel suddenly said, breaking the silence.

'About what?' Sheik asked, the smile still on his lips.

Gimel looked down in the ground.

'About why she left. Where she is.'

The smile in Sheik's face vanished and was replaced by sadness.

A long minute of silence followed, long enough for Gimel to wonder if Sheik was even going to reply when the Sheikah suddenly lifted his head, and gave a sigh.

'Every day.'


	4. A Taste of Things to Come'

**Hello! So Xmas is coming up… and here's a little gift! The next chapter of War of Shadow! Enjoy! **

**The Heroine: War of Shadow**

'_A Taste of Things to Come'_

Epone slid down the grassy hill, half-pacing, half-trotting. Once down, Link held him in. Two days had passed since she'd left the small town where she'd met Kratos. She looked up and around. The landscape had looked the same for the entire journey, and if it wasn't for the great forest in the north getting closer and closer, she would have believed she wasn't getting anywhere.

Once again she thought of what Kratos had told her. Was it really true? Was Hyrule under a threat? She had never heard anything. No rumors at all, and she'd been to a lot of places the past two years. What if it was just a lie to bring her back to Hyrule?

She was about to drive Epone on again when she noticed how his ears pricked forward and backward, as he was listening to something.

Link sighed, thinking it was nothing and pressed his sides. She realized her mistake as Epone merely started to prance around and spinning around a few times, shaking his head. Link knew the horse well enough to see this as a sign of something being wrong.

She looked around. Nothing.

She shortened the reins. 'Alright, already, I hear you, buddy. I just don't get what's getting you so worked up…'

That's when she heard it. A rumble. Suddenly the ground started to tremble. The sound got clearer, like a drumming. Alarmed, Link shortened the reins and drove Epone into gallop up the hill towards the east. Along with the drumming she could suddenly hear what caused the ground to shake. Footsteps. Thousands and thousands of footsteps. Alarmed of what she might see, Link drove Epone the last steps up the hill, and the sight before her brought her heart down to her feet.

An army of several thousand men, from the southeast, marched in the valley below her, moving towards her. Link could feel her jaw drop.

So it was true. An army was marching towards Hyrule.

But she still felt like she could not believe it. How could this happen? And why?

Suddenly Epone gave a whinny and rose on his hind legs, bringing Link back reality. But by Epone's motion, several of the men in the front row of the army noticed her.

They started shouting at her in their own tongue and then someone loaded a bow, aiming at her. Link could not see the coming threat, as she still sat on her stallion, looking at them. It wasn't until the arrow whistled past her, almost touching her shoulder, that she fully came back to her senses. With a determined look on her face, she took Epone's reins in her left hand, and with her right she pulled out her sword, The Master Sword.

Some of the men broke away from the line, charging her, but the majority of the army seemed to march on, ignoring her. Not that it mattered to Link.

Instead she pulled on the reins, causing Epone to do a high rear again and then they charged down the plain.

The first men to come at her never lived to the next moment as Epone galloped over them with no great effort. Link swung her sword, slitting the throats of those who came too near.

For once, Link did something she had not thought through. What was she supposed to do? Fight off the entire army? Run away? Sure, she'd killed about twenty of them, but more and more broke away from the lines of the army.

Link guessed she must have hesitated for a moment as she was suddenly hit in the back of her head, caught by surprise.

The blow sent her off Epone, landing on the grass beside. She found that she'd been hit with a club, from an enormous man. No, it was not a man, it was a troll. Link had heard of them, but never seen one, but this one had to be one. It was big and…ugly.

It snarled and swung it's club again. But Link was quickly back on her feet. She swung her sword, avoiding another blow from the troll and thrust it in the troll's leg.

But the creature did not even flinch as he growled and used his arm to hit Link, sending her flying down in the grass a few meters away.

Dazed, she looked up, realizing her sword was stuck in the troll's leg. Great. The troll roared at her and took the few steps towards her, raising his club under the encouraging shouts of the soldiers, who had formed a ring around them.

Suddenly an arrow pierced into the troll's arm. Again, it appeared not to have hurt him, but it caught his attention. It turned his head, only to be pierced by another arrow in the front of his head. It wavered for a moment and then fell dead to the ground. Link was fast to get up on her feet and, like the soldiers, turned her head to see where the arrow had come from.

Someone came galloping down the hill on a black stallion. The rider had a dark colored bow and his hair was black with the front stripes in a peculiar color of red, almost like….

'_Kratos!?_' Link exclaimed in disbelief. The man made a halt beside her, thrusting one of his long knives into a soldier that was about to attack Link again.

'Uh, how about getting your horse and get out of here and we'll talk later?' the man suggested patiently.

Link frowned at him, but realized he was right.

Quickly, she grabbed her sword from the troll and grabbed the reins of Epone. She'd barely placed her foot in the stirrup before he leapt off in a gallop.

It did not take her long to catch up with Kratos. His horse was bigger and stronger, but Epone was quicker and more swift.

'What the hell are you doing here?' Link asked, growing angry and ducked her head just in time to avoid an arrow piercing into her head.

'What am _I _doing here? I'm not the one who charged at a thousand men, _alone,_' Kratos shot back and turned in his saddle to swiftly fire an arrow at a soldier who had come too close.

'Okay,' Link said, avoiding a stone as she pulled Epone's reins to the left, 'let me put it this way. Are you following me?'

But to her suggestion the man only laughed.

'Cannot others have business in Hyrule?'

Link grunted, as Epone had slowed to a trot. Then she suddenly saw where Kratos was heading. Towards the forest. Towards Hyrule.

She drove on Epone to quickly overtake the black stallion and held in Epone in front of him, forcing Kratos to stop.

'Are you _nuts_!?' she exclaimed. 'You can't lead them into the forest! You'll lead them into Hyrule!'

'That's exactly what I want,' Kratos said with a mischievous grin and before Link had time to react, he steered his stallion around her and galloped over the plain towards the woods, leaving Link no option but to follow him. Unless she wanted to be killed by a huge army, which was, of course, out of the question.

So she drove on Epone towards the trees, where Kratos had made a halt, waiting for her. She tugged on the reins, as Epone was hard to stop, exited as he was. Well, neither horse or rider had been fighting such a big group for a very long time.

'Alright, you want to tell me what the hell is going on?' Link asked, quite furious with the man in front of her by now.

But Kratos ignored her and turned his head to the army again. Suddenly one of their leaders started shouting, bringing the soldiers back in the line, clearly alarmed. But there were still about twenty soldiers charging towards the forest, spears pointed in front of them. Link pulled the reins, about to turn Epone around to…do something, what she did not know. But she stopped dead, as did Epone, as they saw the soldiers charging in the forest. But just as they had past a few meters in, they were suddenly surrounded by a force field. They stopped, confused, when suddenly a light appeared and shot right through their hearts. They screamed in agony before completely dissolved by the light.

Link gasped, and Epone backed a few steps, as surprised as her.

As the army marched away to the west, and the screams of the soldiers faded away in the trees, Link realized she was panting. From fear.

'What was that?' Link whispered, afraid that if she talked any louder, another army would rise up.

Kratos suddenly looked at her. 'That,' he said, 'is a tribute of your friend Zelda, I believe. Any man who walks in here with a cruel heart gets… what's the word? Oh, dissolved.' He grinned.

But Link shook her head. 'No, I don't mean that. I mean', she said and turned Epone towards the disappearing army. 'what is _that_?'

'That,' Kratos said, his grin wiped off his face, 'is a taste of things to come.'

'Oh, Goddess,' Link exclaimed alarmed, 'I have to go back. Now.' She pulled the reins of Epone, pressing his sides, but Kratos had already ridden up to her and grabbed her reins, preventing her from riding away.

'Link. Calm down,' he said with a slight smile. 'They're not coming for another few weeks. They're only regrouping in the south of the forest, to then launch a bigger attack.'

Link finally calmed down. 'Regroup? What? That army would easily enough match the forces of Hyrule!'

Kratos gave a small sigh of laughter.

'Did you not just see what happened? The penetration thingy of light? Zelda's power will kill a _lot _of them, but not all. That's why they have to be so many.'

Suddenly Link looked up. 'But how could Zelda be that powerful? I mean, the entire land of Hyrule is enormous!'

Kratos gave her a look. 'Who said it was around all of Hyrule? The outskirts are not protected, only the western part.' He gave a shrug. 'I suppose those small villages out there are raided to the ground by the armies.'

He was surprised to see that Link's expression was chocked. 'Hey, Link? You okay?'

Link focused her gaze on Kratos again. 'And…' she swallowed, her throat strangely dry, 'what about the Creel Village?'

'The what?' Kratos echoed. As Link repeated the name he shrugged. 'Never heard of it. Probably burnt down too, if it's in the east of the forest.'

'Oh no,' Link breathed. Then she suddenly drove her heels into Epone's sides who took of in a gallop in the trees.

'Hey! Wait!' Kratos called after her, but she was already gone. He sighed, shortening the reins to his horse, watching after Link. Then he drove on his horse.

'Come on, Zelon. Let's go back.'

---

Links thoughts swirled as Epone's hooves thundered on the ground. What had happened to the Creel Village? The village where she had been born? Her home village? Her brother's village?

With a shout she drove on Epone further, urging him on. She realized that she knew the road to her village surprisingly well, on account of how she hadn't been there for a little more than two years.

Finally the forest cleared, and the old road spread out before her feet, revealing the village before Link's eyes…

* * *

**You like, yes? Heh, anyhow… please make my Christmas by writing lots and loooots of reviews!!! **

**Hohoho, Merry Christmas!!! **

**//Louiiiiiiiiiiiii**


	5. Connections

**The Heroine: War of Shadow**

_Connections_

_A taste of things to come. _

That was the words that repeated in Link's head as she looked at the Creel Village. At least, what was left of it.

It was very quiet, as faint grey smoke rose from the buildings that had been burnt, and some still glowing with the calming fire.

She could see no building that stood. And there was not a soul. No one could be seen, anywhere. The village had been raided to the ground. By the armies.

It was then Link felt something stir inside of her. A feeling not that unfamiliar to her. Anger. Anger with Zelda, who knew about the Creel Village, and still did not protect it. Anger with Kratos, for being so light hearted about everything. Anger with Hyrule, for having to be such a vulnerable country. And finally angry with the Goddesses, for picking her to be the Hero. Heroine.

She was no Hero. For a moment she hesitated, thinking about leaving Hyrule to it's fate, and leave her title and everything behind. But her moral stopped her. No, if Hyrule would be destroyed, so would the rest of the world.

She would go back. But certainly not for long. She would only stay until the army had been defeated, or Hyrule destroyed, whatever. She would stay, but then, she would leave again. And this time, she was not so sure whether she would return or not.

She turned Epone again, trotting out of the village. Under all this time, there was the small thought of Sheik in the back of her head. But towards him she could feel no anger, only guilt.

---

Uraeas lowered her head, backing a few nervous steps, before reassured by Sheik with his gentle voice, and took a step forward.

A few days had passed, and the only way of escaping the thoughts of Link was to train the mare he'd received by Gimel. Barely three years old, she proved to be a very good horse. He'd named her Uraeas, from the old tongue of the Hyrule - it was more than a thousand years since they had used it - which meant 'Stormy Cloud' witch kind of suited the wild horse.

Uraeas suddenly gave a small rear, trying to avoid a branch she found highly suspicious, giving Sheik a reason to smile. Then something moved in the corner in his eye, catching his attention. Down in the valley in the great Hyrule Field a dark figure was galloping towards the castle. Sheik immediately recognized the figure. His heart beating harder in his chest, he pulled the reins on Uraeas, turning her on the spot and then drove her down the hill in gallop.

Zelda was already standing on the hill by the castle, looking out the valley. She had sensed something far away, something dark but… then a bright light that had seemed to answer all her hopes. She did not yet know, that she had sensed Link, Kratos and the army in the woods.

Still, she stood looking out the valley when, just as she had predicted, someone arrived. It was not Link, she saw as the rider came further up the hill, but Kratos.

The man held in his stallion a few meters away from her and dismounted easily.

'You're back,' Zelda said, in her calm voice but inside she was happy to see the man.

Kratos nodded with a grin, putting an arm around his horse's neck, leaning to it. The horse snorted irritated and buffed on the man. 'You got my message then?'

Zelda nodded. Silence followed, as if Zelda was working up to ask the question she'd been waiting to ask for a very long time. She looked up at him.

'How was she?'

Kratos gave a smile. 'Well, you know,' he said with a light tone to hide the bad news, 'sad, fierce, angry and quite messed up.'

Zelda looked down in the ground. 'Oh.' Then she looked up, suddenly seeing something behind Kratos, who turned.

Sheik sat upon Uraeas, clearly having heard Kratos' description of Link. Not saying a word, he turned Uraeas and paced down the hill. Zelda looked after him, sighing.

'When talking about messed up,' Kratos said under his breath.

'Your Highness,' a voice suddenly said. Both man and Queen turned to see General Chase Lian striding towards them. But as the general looked up he stopped by the sight of Kratos.

'Oh,' he said in clear disappointment, 'you're back.'

'Yes,' Zelda was the one to answer. 'What is it, General?'

'Oh,' Chase said, still looking at Kratos. 'I was just going to go over the army plan with Her Highness, but it can wait.' And then he quickly left.

Kratos looked after him. 'Okay, what is it with people today? Is everyone very messed up or is it just me?'

'No,' Zelda sighed. 'I suppose I never told you about Chase, did I?'

'No,' Kratos said, turning his eyes to Zelda and sighed. 'Enlighten me.'

'Well,' Zelda said, 'Chase was born in a village in the east, not far from you own village.'

By the mention of Kratos' home village, his expression clearly darkened. 'Don't tell me…' he started, but Zelda nodded.

'Yes, Kratos. Chase's village is the one your people atta…'

She didn't finish her sentence on account of how Kratos started talking.

'Oh, come _on!' _he said, flinging out with his arms and started to pace around. 'Does he really think I was in that damned army that attacked that village!? I'm not one of them!'

He pulled his hands through his hair, frustrated.

'I know that,' Zelda said calmly, placing a hand on Kratos' arm, 'and so does Chase. It's just… he can't let it go. To finally meet one of the ones who ruined his life, and having to accept that he is innocent...'

'I get it,' Kratos said grimly, taking back his arm, not looking at her. He did not show it, but he knew she was right. He could exactly relate to how Chase was feeling. Kratos' people had always been known to be bandits. But nothing more. But then their leader had decided to join the army that was marching up against the power in the north, Hyrule.

But that had not agreed to Kratos' ideals. Refusing to be part of the army, he was chased out of the band or sentenced to death.

So he had chosen to leave and go to Hyrule to warn them. Kratos had been the first one to bring the news of the army marching towards the land.

His people had marched towards the north, destroying whatever lay in their way, like Chase's village.

Kratos sighed, looking out to the field before deciding to walk to the castle, bringing his horse with him, together with Zelda.

---

Night fell and Link pulled up her hood to her cloak. Epone was pacing slowly though the trees, his head stretched out and lowered, as Link had more or less let go of the reins. Both horse and rider were equally tired, as Link yawned. She stopped in the middle of it however, as Epone finally stepped out in the clearing of the woods. He stopped as he noticed Link tensing.

Link looked up. Before them lay a grey hill, a long climb up, and in the field that stretched out below it…

She swallowed. Link knew exactly what lay beyond that hill. Hyrule.

But she had no intention of renewing her friendships with anyone in her old home in her current state, which was dead beat.

She slid off Epone, brushed him off quickly, made up a fire and sunk down with her back against a tree. She watched as Epone, who for once did not stand and sleep, leaned down to lay his body down in the grass beside her. He gave a soft snort and buffed on Link's shoulder. She gave a smile and then took the blanket she had under the saddle, lay it over the shoulder of Epone and lay down, leaning to her horse.

It didn't take long for both horse and rider to fall asleep, Epone's head by Link's arm, her hand resting behind his ears, where she had been scratching him before sleep overcame her.

---

She woke up a few hours after dawn. Epone was still lying down, but he was awake. Apparently, he did not want to wake his master as he stayed in his position. When he saw that she was awake however, he heaved to his feet, shaking his head and snorting, throwing Link quite violently to the side.

She gave him a glare. 'Thanks for the wake,' she said, but Epone merely gave a playful whinny as an answer. The horse was in a good mood, probably sensing how close he was to his home.

---

Gimel ran down the field with Tzadek in a halter and rope, who trotted fast by his side. She finally fell into a gallop just to keep up with the boy, who seemed very excited about something. A wind passed through his hay colored hair as he ran, his emerald eyes lit up in excitement. Over time, he had grown into a tall, slightly lanky, nineteen year old. The freckles in his face were well visible, as he worked outside in the sun almost the entire days. His clothes, - a pair of lose brown pants tucked into light brown boots, and a light blue shirt – danced as the wind caught on to them. Tzadek, who galloped beside him, was similar in color to his hair. Her coat was of a light beige color, with mane in a paler shade, almost whitish. Her dark wise brown eyes were fixed on the boy beside her as he ran on.

As they came to the exit from the Lon Lon Ranch, Gimel looked around and as he spotted Sheik, the one he had been looking for, he completely forgot the horse beside him as he dropped the rope and ran to the Sheikah, who stood on the hill, arms folded, looking out over Hyrule field.

'Sheik!' he exclaimed, panting from his run. 'Is it… is it true? Is… Kratos back?' he bent down, leaning on his hands on his knees.

Sheik did not move his gaze as responded to Gimel. 'Yes.'

Gimel was silent, but no conclusion from Sheik came. 'And?' he asked impatiently.

Sheik turned as Tzadek came trotting up to them, and put his hand between the horse's ears, gently fingering on her long mane.

'She's coming back.'

---

Epone struggled against Link's firm grip on the reins, holding him short, forcing him to pace. They were slowly making their way up the hill. It wasn't such a high hill, - just that you couldn't see what was behind it - but it was long. Epone shook his head, backed a few steps and as Link drove him on he took it as a sign to start galloping, which only resulted in that Link tugged on the reins, causing Epone to back again. It was an endless process that was taking them more backwards than forward.

Finally Link gave up.

'Alright,' she said, 'Go. But you do it at my speed, okay?'

Then she pressed his sides, but still holding a firm grip on the reins. Epone immediately leaped forward in gallop, but in a slow pace. But still, they were now going forward. But still too fast for Link. Each step her horse took made the big stone in her stomach grow.

Finally, only a few yards away from the summit, she tugged on the reins, forcing Epone to stop. He snorted very irritated. What was it _now_?

Link swallowed. _Alright. Here goes nothing. _

And she loosened the reins to Epone who paced the last steps to the summit…

* * *

**...another cliffhanger. Well, sort of. So sorry guys, couldn't help it…. Anyway, I can assure you all that lots of stuff WILL happen in the next chapter!  And for all you who are eager for Link and Sheik to meet (once again, you know who you are) they will in the next chapter! ..meet, that is. **

**And also, you Gimel-lovers (Do I even have to tell you who you are? Hehe) I hope you liked the description I threw in on him! **

**Please review, my friends!! **

**/Louii**


	6. Hyrule

**Well, y'all, since it's Xmas, I decided to update yet again! Hope you'll enjoy it! (especially you, Baronfly :P)**

* * *

**The Heroine: War of Shadow**

_Hyrule_

And there it was. First the great green field of Hyrule, stretching out as far as the eye could see. The sea to the far west and further to the south, the great desert. And in the south east, behind Link, was the great forest, where she'd come from. And to the east…

Link turned her head to set her eyes upon the great mountains. She remembered them as big black pillars smoke rising from behind them as Ganondorf's realm lay beyond them. The place where she had died.

Now the mountains merely stood there as great walls of grey stone, silent, the secret of what had happened behind them forever carved into their surface.

Epone snorted and lowered his head, backing a few steps, bringing Link back to reality. She tore her gaze away from the mountains, which she believed to be the reason to why her heart was beating so fast, and looked towards the castle.

It stood exactly as she remembered it, only… There was a large city below it. Last time Link had seen it, there'd only been a little town at the bottom of the hill where the castle lay.

_But… time changes some things, I guess_, she thought, sighing depressed. She only had herself to blame for feeling like this.

Then, giving Epone a small press of her heels, he trotted down the hill, over the grass on the field they both had come to love.

---

'Oh, will you cut it _out?' _Gimel snapped to Angel, as the horse kept dancing around him. The horse gave a high-pitched whinny, as if only to tease the boy and continued dancing around.

'Stupid horse…' Gimel muttered, but immediately regretted it, as the horse, ears laid back, snapped after his fingers.

'Hey!' Gimel snapped, but Angel ignored him. Instead the young horse stood with his head raised, nostrils widened and ears pricked forward, as if he sensed something.

'What is it now?' Gimel sighed, but that's when he saw something in the corner of his eye.

A dark figure, a horse and a rider, stood upon the summit beyond the field of Hyrule. Gimel strained his eyes in the noon sun, figuring it was only another merchant, but then his eyes caught how the sun reflected on the red coat of the horse. There was no mistaking on that red coat. No other horse Gimel had ever seen, saved for Angel, had that color.

As it slowly dawned upon him, he dropped the rope he had Angel in and threw himself down the hill towards the figure.

---

Link's gaze was fixed on the city as Epone trotted through some bushes that were so high, they brushed her feet. She was brutally brought back from her thoughts however, as Epone suddenly stopped dead, ears pricked forward. She jolted forth in the saddle, hitting his neck, swore, to then sit back up again, turning her attention to whatever it was that had caught Epone's attention.

She recognized the figure rushing down the hill, and could not help to give a small smile. But there was still the anger with Zelda and the others. She had to get to the castle. To get it all over with.

Gimel slowed down as he started to reach the foot of the hill and saw what he had known. It was Link, sitting upon the stallion that had once been his own, Epone. Joy overwhelmed him, but as he moved to run down the last steps, his foot was caught in a root, and with a yell he lost his footing, tumbling down the rest of the hill until he landed by Epone's hooves, who lowered his head and sniffed the young man a bit suspiciously.

Gimel, blushing slightly at his dramatic entrance, rose and brushed some dirt of his pants, and then lifted his gaze to look at Link.

She looked almost nothing as he had remembered her. Sure, she was still beautiful, as he had always had a crush on her, and the blond hair was longer, although shorter around her forehead. But she was thinner, and her face no longer radiated the look of innocence and happiness Gimel had always remembered her by. It was now filled with anger and grief. Her eyes were still the same bright deep blue, but still so much darker.

'Link?'

The girl gave a slight smile, but it wasn't very happy. 'Hello, Gimel.'

He could not help it, hearing her voice again, feeling her presence, it was making his eyes tear.

Link noticed this, and she quickly dropped her gaze.

'Listen, Gimel,' she said, looking up again, her eyes suddenly filled with something that seemed cold as ice, 'I need to go to the castle. I'm not staying for that long.' She was not looking at him as she stated this with a low voice. Without waiting for a reply, she shortened the reins of Epone.

And with that, she trotted off, leaving a stunned Gimel.

---

She quickly forgot the shame of rejecting Gimel when Link held in Epone as they trotted into the now Imperial City of Hyrule. She could nothing but marvel at the white stone city, with it's large buildings. It was a city of almost completely white. It was beautiful, like nothing Link had ever seen before. So much prosperity, after Ganondorf's defeat. Link silently wished she could have been there while the country had developed.

Epone suddenly leapt terrified to his side as two children suddenly ran by, playing a game of tag. Link could not help to laugh; the exact same thing had happened the very first time they had ever entered Hyrule city together.

'Milady?' a voice suddenly asked and she turned. A man stood down beside Epone, clad in a royal blue cape of Hyrule. Link immediately recognized the symbol on his chest to the general's. She felt weird at the man's word. _Milady? Never been called that before…_

'Yes?' she asked, raising her eyebrows.

His short brown hair was caught in the wind, sending it flying, ruffling it around a little, as he squinted his light grey eyes to look up at her, the sun striking his face.

'Forgive me, I must introduce myself,' he said, giving a little bow. 'I am General Chase Lian.'

Link gave a nod, but did not introduce herself. She pulled of her traveling cloak and stuffed it into one of the bags fastened by her saddle, to only wear her blue leggings and big green shirt.

'I was merely wondering who you are. I have not seen you in our lands before, and it is unusual to see women travel around alone around here,' Chase said, looking at her curiously.

'Well, I can assure you I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself,' Link said, fighting to not snap at the general. She hated being looked down upon, merely because she was a woman.

'And I am sure you are,' Chase said, giving a smile. 'May I ask why you have come here?'

'I have business with the Princes- Queen in the castle,' Link replied, barely remembering that Zelda was now Queen.

'The castle?' Chase asked, looking puzzled. 'Er…is the Queen expecting you?'

Link gave a smug grin. 'Oh, I am sure she does.' She shortened the reins, preparing to ride away again, when Chase looked at her in a strange way.

'I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?'

Link gave a sly smile and drove Epone on to a fast pace. 'I didn't.'

She left the general who looked after her with eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

---

Zelda stood, feeling a bit depressed, as she looked out over the plains of Hyrule, standing, like ever so often, on the hill in front of the castle. The sun stood high and it was a beautiful day, but the Queen could not help to feel a bit troubled by all the bad news about the army she had received.

She was wearing a dress in a pale shade of green, and her blond hair was pulled into a hairstyle that looked like it had taken hours to fix, and she was wearing a slim silver crown. She looked out over her lands and sighed. But yet… there was something…

She had suddenly sensed something, something good, and walked out to the hill. What could it had been?

She shrugged inwards, she had no idea. Maybe she was just finding an excuse not to deal with the day's duties.

Sighing, she turned to walk inside again, when she suddenly heard a noise. It was a horse snorting, and hooves in gallop.

As if realizing what it could be, she slowly turned around, looking down the hill again. And there she was.

Coming upon her red stallion, was Link.

Everything seemed to go slowly; the horse's leaps in gallop up the hill, Link's lose plait bouncing of her back.

The girl hadn't noticed Zelda, as she held in the stallion to a halt, and her face determined she slid off the horse's back, leaving the horse to graze and then turning to walk up the hill.

Zelda could not help herself; she gathered her skirts and dashed down the hill. Link looked up, for the first time in two years setting eyes upon Zelda, and could not help to give a smile as she kept walking.

Then Zelda finally reached her, and threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly.

'Link! Oh, praise the Goddesses, you are really back!'

Zelda could not help it, tears formed in her face, but as she held the girl at arm's length to survey her, she froze.

Link was different. Very different. She still had the same beautiful looks, but she did not radiate the innocent joy anymore. She was colder, closed. And despite the small smile on her lips, she did not look happy.

'Zelda,' she said.

Zelda ignored Link's difference and lit up in a smile again. 'You're back..' she repeated, smiling. Then she turned towards the castle again.

'Come, you must be tired,' she said, urging her on up the castle.

Without realizing why, Link felt suddenly immensely tired. Not because of her journey, but of what burden lay ahead. She knew she had to tell Zelda she could not stay. She was not happy with her, not after the Creel Village.

But being back, seeing her face full of joy… she could not shut out the feeling of finally being home.

But her heaviest task lay ahead of her now. She knew Sheik was around here somewhere, and she was going to have to talk to him. Sighing, she let Zelda lead her into the great castle.

It was strange, as they walked through the halls of the castle, they were silent. Link could not think of anything to say, as she only followed at Zelda's side.

'Where have you been, Link?' Zelda suddenly asked, bringing Link back to there and now. The Queen had stopped and was now surveying her with her pale blue eyes. Link did not meet her gaze, and looked down to the carpet she stood on.

'Nowhere. Everywhere.'

Zelda regarded her for a moment, seeing pain evolve in Link's face. She suddenly felt like crying. _Oh, Link, why did you leave? When everyone here loved you…_

Suddenly Link looked up, her face determined again. 'Look, Zelda, I'm not staying for long. I just want to help out, and then be on my way again.'

Zelda was stunned into silence. Link had finally returned home, after two years, and she was leaving…again?

'Oh…,' she began, letting her hands fall to her sides.

She could not think of anything to say, but just looked at Link, who's gaze was planted on the ground. Still shocked, she managed to gather herself. 'Oh. Well… let's walk to the gardens, shall we?'

And she continued her walk down the corridor, a cold Link following her.

They came out to a garden in the great castle grounds, which was surrounded by stone walls, but no roof, and there were windows, but they had no glass in them. It was there Link stopped, to look out over the view of Hyrule. The silence between her and Zelda felt extremely awkward. But what was she supposed to say?

_Oh, hi, Zelda. Sorry I left you all for two years for no particular reason, okay?_

She sighed, for now she realized that she never really had a reason to leave Hyrule. She had forgotten how much she loved this land, it's inhabitants and everything around it.

'Well, for what it's worth, it's nice to see you again, Link,' Zelda said, smiling a bit sadly as she stood on the other side of the courtyard. Link looked at her, and their eyes locked. It was as if Zelda was trying to read this new Link.

The Link she could not understand.

'It's nice to be here,' Link said, breaking their eye contact. She didn't want to be nice. Sure, it _was _nice to be back and see Zelda, one of her best friends, again. But Link was still mad about the Creel Village.

Suddenly there was someone in the archway. Link looked up to see Chase standing there, his eyes upon Zelda, giving a slight bow as he made his presence known.

'You Highness.'

Zelda turned, 'Oh, General, are you here?' She could not hide the relief from her voice as she no longer had to endure the awkward silence between her and Link.

Link eyed him as he turned his light grey eyes to her.

'We've met,' she said, giving a crooked smile.

'So you are Link,' he said, a slight grin on his lips. 'The Heroine.' Link mentally cringed at the title, but did not rub her expression as the man gave a bow to her. 'Yes, we've met, and if I did not say so then…' he looked up again, 'charmed.'

Link raised her eyebrows, regarding him. He was a very polite man. She wondered where Zelda had found him. Smiling slightly, Zelda continued.

'Link is going to stay for a while, to help us with the war.'

Chase nodded. Link took on a false cheery smile, looking at Zelda. 'So where did you find him?'

Relieved over having something to talk about, Zelda started talking.

---

Sheik ran a hand through his hair, sighing slightly. On his way from the ranch to the castle he'd met a shocked Gimel. He'd tried to ask the boy what was the matter, but he'd taken one look at Sheik and then decided to be silent, walking up to the ranch with empty eyes.

But Sheik had read something in Gimel's eyes. Something had happened, but he could not put his finger on what.

He should've known, he later thought as he looked back on what happened. He should have known. But he didn't, and that was why he stopped dead as he rounded the next corner to another garden.

There stood Link. She was talking to Chase and Zelda. Shocked, Sheik felt like his heart had stopped beating. There she was, Link, the girl he loved. But… the difference immediately struck him, like it struck everyone else. But he saw other things too. She was thinner, she looked a bit more fragile, although tougher.

She had not yet noticed him, as she stood with crossed arms, one eyebrow raised, which Sheik knew was Link's way of looking skeptical, as she listened to something Chase said.

Chase had his eyes one Link as he explained how he had first come to Hyrule. Link could not help to feel a bit bored. The man in front of her was a top soldier, no question about it. She cast a quick glance at Zelda by the window, who did not look at her. She looked sad. Link could understand why. This wasn't exactly the best reunion they'd had.

People should be happier when they hadn't seen each other for two years, but Link was mad. Mad over the Creel Village. So she unfolded her arms, raising an eyebrow as she listened to Chase, cutting him off in mid-sentence.

'…so I started off in the army as a-'

'Well, it's been nice meeting you, but I really have to go. I have to find a room in the city where I can stay,' Link stated, giving a nod to Chase and then one to Zelda. But as she looked at the Queen, she saw that her eyes were fixed somewhere behind Link, eyes filled with dread. Link grew suspicious. Slowly, she turned around to see what it was that-

Her heart stopped. As her eyes locked onto those red ones her blood immediately froze. Sheik. He stood, looking almost as shocked as she did, as he stared at her. Link was suddenly brutally reminded of why she had left Hyrule. For as she looked at Sheik she realized that her every limb in her body yearned for him. She loved him so much she thought her heart was going to burst. She mentally kicked herself. How could she have left him?

'Milady?'

Chase's voice was distant, just as the rest of the world. It was as if a bubble had formed around her and Sheik, shielding them from the rest of the world. None of them made a move to say or do anything, they just looked at each other.

Finally Link panicked. Her mind snapped, and slowly she backed away. 'I… I…' she began stupid, still looking at Sheik. Then she suddenly turned and ran out from the garden.


	7. Backside of the Medal

**The Heroine: War of Shadow**

_Backside of the Medal_

The face of Sheik rolled over and over in Link's mind as she dashed down the stairs that led up to the castle. How could she had been so cruel and left him?

She reached the city and continued her mad dash, but she had no idea where to go. She was afraid. Afraid of her own feelings. How could she feel so strongly for someone? How could she be capable of loving so much? _Was _she capable of loving so much? No, she knew. It would only come around and hurt her.

As she finally reached the field outside the city she slowed down, only to get her foot caught in a root. She toppled over, landed in a set of bushes, where she lay for a few minutes, calming down, panting. Then the tears started running down her cheeks, and she sobbed.

---

'Sheik…' Zelda's voice was distant. Sheik was still staring at the spot were Link had been standing a few moments before.

Suddenly Zelda appeared in front of him, bringing his gaze towards her. His eyes were red; filled with tears. Somehow, it shattered Zelda's heart to see.

Then he turned and walked away.

A few gardens away, where he was alone, he stopped. He walked to the window, leaned on his hands, letting his head drop, as a single tear dropped to the stone.

He felt immensely sad to see her as different as she was now. But still so incredibly happy that she was back. Every limb in his body yearned for her. He loved her.

Two years of suffering had led to this point. But what was going to happen now?

---

Link did not know how long she had been lying in the bushes, watching the sun set. Pulling herself together, she scrambled to her feet. She had no idea where Epone was, who had all her packing.

Then her eyes fell upon the Lon Lon Ranch.

_Ah, of course. _

She adjusted her green big shirt before beginning her walk up to the ranch. She truly had no idea what to do now. Right, the whole help-Hyrule-out-thing. Only question was, how? How could she help Hyrule right now? That General Chase seemed to have things pretty much under control. But why should she help Hyrule? _Could _she help Hyrule in the first place? She knew nothing of wars…Why did they need her?

As she reached the gates to the ranch she suddenly felt angry. They had brought her back for nothing.

Then she suddenly heard a whinny, which she recognized as Epone's. Burying her anger deep down she walked through the gates and into the ranch. She spotted Epone who pranced around freely around the ranch, but no Gimel. The stallion saw her, and with a few leaps he was at her side, snorting happily.

'How'd you get here? I thought I left you at the castle,' she said. The horse buffed on her.

'I guess you're glad to be back, though, aren't you?' she cooed, running her hand down his forehead as he neighed softly. Then she suddenly heard another soft whinny. She looked up, and spotted Tzadek trotting towards them, with arched neck.

The mare trotted up to Link and sniffed on her hair. 'Hello, Tzadek,' Link said, fingering on the horse's long, slightly curled, mane. Sadly, Link remembered the time when she and Sheik had traveled all over Hyrule in search for the Master Sword. Sheik had ridden on Tzadek, and they'd made a beautiful couple. And she also knew that the mare and Epone had taken liking to each other.

'Tzadek! Where'd you gone off to?'

It was Gimel's voice. Tzadek rose her head and gave a happy neigh, trotting a few yards away. Suddenly Gimel appeared around the corner, carrying a halter over his shoulder. He stopped as he saw Link.

'Oh,' he said, his expression turning into something Link couldn't read. 'Hi.'

'Hi,' Link replied. Suddenly she realized Gimel was angry.

'What are you doing here?' he asked shortly, pulling the halter on Tzadek's head and fastening a rope to it. 'I thought you were eager to leave again.'

'Gimel,' Link pleaded to his back as he turned around to walk away. 'I'm sorry.'

He stopped. Slowly he turned, to look at the face he'd loved two years ago. And now he realized, he still did.

'What do you want, anyway?' he asked, but now he was grinning.

---

'So why did you come back?'

The sun was on the brink of the horizon, clinging on to its last rays. Link and Gimel sat on the porch that headed out over the field, eating dinner.

Link shrugged, fingering on her spoon. Gimel noticed she hadn't eaten much. 'I'm not sure.'

Gimel regarded her for a moment, and ripped a bit of his bread but didn't eat it. 'Okay. So why did you leave in the first place?'

Link knew she deserved this behavior from Gimel. And everyone else. But what was the answer? She just couldn't tell him it was because she was afraid of losing the ones she loved. Should she tell him the same thing she'd told Kratos? But then… no. He deserved to know the truth. It didn't matter what she'd told Kratos. He didn't know her. Not like Gimel did. And she needed a friend right now.

Just as she thought that, the person in question, Kratos, returned from the city. He lived at the castle, as Zelda had requested it, as she often valued his opinion on different things. The only hard thing was receiving the dirty looks from the guards. Well, who could blame them? To them, he looked like a common thief. He had ridden to the ranch to leave his horse Zelon on the ranch's field over night, as his stallion hated to be locked in a stable. And there wasn't a field at the castle were he could graze. As he was on his was to say good night to Gimel he suddenly heard voices. When he heard what they were talking about, though, he stopped, and hid in the shadows.

'Well,' Link said, looking out over the field again, 'I guess I left because I had this… responsibility. I realized I was going to face dangers, and many of them would include the people I love. Zelda… you…' her voice trailed off.

'Sheik,' Gimel finished for her. She shot him a look, but continued. 'And I just couldn't do it. Have you ever lost a person you loved?' she asked him, not really expecting him to say yes. His life seemed so much more simple than hers. But he surprised her.

'Yes,' he said. She looked back at him, slightly surprised. 'I lost you. We all did.'

Link looked down in the ground.

'I'm sorry, Gimel. I really am.'

He smiled. 'I know.'

Kratos frowned. _So that's how it is, _he thought. He regarded Link for a moment. It was funny, before he'd met her, he'd always imagined the Heroine to be dark haired, shadowy and strong-looking. But Link… she was slim, blond, blue eyed and… beautiful. Almost everything a common warrior wasn't. And now… she seemed fragile as well.

Suddenly Gimel broke the silence with a very quiet voice.

'You haven't… met Sheik yet, have you?'

Link shifted ever so slightly, but Kratos noticed how her entire figure changed to look sad.

'I did.'

There were no more words exchanged between them, but in the two words Link had uttered, Gimel seemed to understand everything.

And suddenly Kratos understood. The sad one, the Sheikah, and Link…were in love. Or at least, _had _been, by the sound of it. Kratos sighed. He'd sensed something when he'd met her. And he understood that this was why she seemed so sad and angry.

Pondering for a while as the two started talking about other things, he finally decided to leave them alone. She knew Link wouldn't really like him being there, as she was still suspicious of him. He chuckled to himself and then left for the castle again.

---

Deep in the Sacred Realm, there was a chamber which no one may open. The chamber was sealed with the powers of the sages, and as long as they lived, the chamber would never open.

Inside this chamber, some said, was evil itself. And it probably was true. Inside the chamber, was the King of Evil, the Gerudo man known as Ganondorf. Well, at least Ganondorf's spirit, since his body had been destroyed by Link two years ago.

This day, though, the grey platform before the great chamber and the sealed door before it, was not empty. A man, hooded and cloaked, stood in the middle of it, resting his shadowed eyes upon the door.

Silence ruled the great hall, when suddenly, what seemed like a breath, seemed to escape the Sealed Chamber. It seemed to be speaking to the hooded man.

'Yes, my Lord' he replied. 'the plan is going as planned. We are only a few weeks from full forces, and attacking Hyrule.'

An angry breath now escaped the sealed chamber.

'I know, my lord,' the man said calmly, 'we are a bit late, but something unexpected has happened.'

The chamber was silent again, when a new breath escaped the sealed chamber.

'Yes, it is true,' the man said. 'The Queen found the Heroine.'

The man paused, before continuing. 'This does not change the plan. We will bring the Queen up here to release the Seal, and free you. Then you may triumph in the battle.'

Another breath came from the chamber, and the man nodded. 'Understood, my Lord. I will come as soon as I can, bringing further news. It will be harder, though, the Queen is suspecting there is someone near her is a traitor.'

The sealed chamber did not respond, and the man moved to turn around and walk away. Then there was suddenly a breath from the chamber again, and the man stopped in his tracks.

'…Understood, my Lord.'

'I will bring the Heroine here, for you to kill.'

---

Link went to the castle the next day, feeling quite miserable. She was at least with speaking terms with Gimel again, but she felt awful the way she had run away from Sheik. But she was mad at Zelda.

Why did she bring her back? It was the Heroine's task to destroy evil, not fight a war that had nothing to do with her. So what if evil forces wanted to attack Hyrule? The land had plenty of protection! Link had done her duty two years ago, sealing Ganondorf away for good, and that was it! She was done with being a hero.

And that was why she was going up to the castle. To say good bye. Again.

She hadn't bothered taking Epone to the castle, he would only run away again. She jogged up the last steps to the summit. Silently she prayed that Sheik was not there. Having another encounter with him was something she couldn't face. She ran a hand through the strands of hair that had come out of her lose plait and sighed tiredly. She hadn't been ready to return. Yet. Things had just gone so wrong. She didn't want to be here anymore.

This wasn't her home anymore.

Swinging up the big doors to the castle, she stalked in, pulling the big grey sweater she wore up over her shoulder, as it tended to fall off. She went through the corridors, until she found Zelda, sitting in the gardens, clad in a light purple dress, reading.

_Oh, how peaceful, _Link thought, before Zelda noticed her in the archway. She lit up.

'Oh, Link! I didn't hear you.'

Link put on a smile. 'Good morning.'

Zelda rose from the bench, smoothing her dress, walking to the doors that led to the castle. 'Good morning! Did you have breakfast already? I'm sure we have some food if you want-'

'Why did you bring me back here, Zelda?'

The Queen stopped in mid-sentence, stopping in her tracks. She turned back to Link, who stood rooted on the spot in the gardens, looking at her with a stern look. What was this? Zelda suddenly felt afraid. It suddenly struck her that she didn't know Link anymore.

'Why _wouldn't _I bring you back?' she asked with an uncertain smile.

Link folded her arms. 'I don't know. You give me a reason.'

Zelda regarded her. 'Because… Hyrule is in danger again-'

'Is it really?' Link cut her off, her temper rising. 'Is it really something your precious General Chase can't handle? He seems to have things under control. The fact is, you don't need me at all, do you?'

Zelda brought her hand to her chest, slightly shocked by Link's sudden rage. 'Of course we need you, Link!'

'No, you don't! This war has nothing to do with me!' Link burst out.

'Link…what's wrong?' Zelda asked faintly.

'What's wrong is that… I don't belong here anymore. This is no longer my home. Good-bye, Zelda.'

And with that, Link turned and stormed out.

Zelda, shocked, hurried after her, trying to run as fast as she could with her long skirts. As she emerged from the castle, she spotted Link on her way down the stairs to the city.

'Link! You cannot leave! Not for us, but for Hyrule!'

Link stormed on, reaching the foot of the stairs and marched through the streets. Zelda ran after her, bouncing of the steps of the stairs.

'Don't leave! Why leave, when you're finally home?'

At her words, Link suddenly turned, her face contorted in anger.

'_Home!?' _she snapped. 'Home! I _was _at home! But thanks to _you, _it's now destroyed!'

Zelda looked at her, taken aback by her shouting. 'What are you talking about?' she asked quietly.

'…Creel Village,' Link said darkly, looking at the Queen in anger, finally letting her true grudge out.

Zelda sighed. 'Oh, Link, I'm so sorry, the village is destroyed…'

Link snorted and stormed off again.

'…but not it's people.'

She stopped dead at Zelda's words. She slowly turned. '…what?'


	8. Reformation

**The Heroine: War of Shadow**

_Reformation _

Zelda led her to a rather small part of the city, where there was a small town square. And before Link's eyes opened the Creel Village. She could see the merchants out with their shops open and the children playing… just like they did when she'd lived there. Apart from the village being gone, nothing had changed. The people from the village, everyone of them, was safe, here in the City of Hyrule.

'I would never let innocent people die. My power was unable to save the village but the people…'

Zelda fell silent as she noticed the tears running down Link's face. The Heroine sank down to the street, burying her face in her hands, sobbing softly. Zelda looked at her in sympathy, before kneeling down beside her and placing her hand softly upon her forearm, bringing out Link's face.

'I'm so sorry, Zelda,' Link said quietly, her eyes upon the Queen, then letting her gaze drop. '…I think I'm going crazy.'

Zelda offered a hand and helper her up to her feet. 'You are not going crazy any more than I am.'

'Then why do I act like this? I snap at my friends… I couldn't even talk to him…' Link said quietly.

Zelda placed both her hand on her shoulders. 'You need time. It's hard being back, I'd imagine.'

A moment of silence followed, before Zelda opened her mouth to speak again.

'And…there _is_ a reason for you to be here.'

Link was silent, still gazing at the people from her old home.

'I'd imagine you'd wonder who's leading this attack on Hyrule. Well, I myself don't know if it's true, but so I've heard, that it is a shadow… far more evil than anything else on this earth. And though he was destroyed, his spirit will not cease to exist.' She paused. 'His evil, his shadow-'

'Ganondorf.'

Link broke her off in mid-sentence, still looking at the people, but her gaze as dark as night. Zelda fell silent.

'He's back, isn't he?' Link asked grimly.

'…He is still sealed away, but somehow, he is communicating with the outside world, but with whom…I do not know.'

Finally Link looked up. 'You mean like a traitor?'

Zelda sighed. 'Like a traitor, yes. Someone, close enough to me with the ability to travel to the Sacred Realm…'

'I will find him,' Link said, matter-of-factly. Zelda looked at her. 'I'll find him, and then we'll put an end to this war.'

Zelda smiled, for the first time since Link came back, seeing some of the old Link in the girl in front of her.

'But not now,' Zelda said, 'you must be tired, come, I'll give you a room at the castle, where you can rest,' she said.

'I can't,' Link suddenly said, 'go there,' she added as Zelda turned to look at her. 'I have to go to the Lon Lon ranch, where my horse is. And besides… I'm not ready to face…him,' she said, eyes in the ground, but Zelda knew who she meant. 'And I would want to stay here for a while as well…' She looked at the people from the Creel Village.

Zelda gave her a smile. 'Very well. Please come see me tomorrow and we can talk,' she then said.

'I will,' Link said, and they embraced. Zelda then left her, pacing up to the castle again. She stopped by the big stairs to turn and look at Link, as the Heroine walked into what used to be her old home, embracing several people.

She turned again, feeling relieved, and walked into the castle again.

---

Link returned to the ranch later that day, feeling slightly lighter at the heart. How could she ever had been mad at Zelda? She would never do anything to harm anyone!

It was Link own fault, she realized. It was this new person she had become, this…

Link swore aloud to herself. She was a wreck, that's what she was. A shadow of her old self. But she couldn't bring herself to be the one she really was-

A loud whinny, followed by a curse from Gimel, brought her attention to the stables. A small horse galloped around the corner to the stable, a bridle around his head and the rope dangling by his legs. Link lit up in a smile, until she really studied the horse. It had the exact color as Epone, but with the body of… she frowned, recognizing the slender figure. Then it hit her, it was the body of Tzadek.

Angel stopped dead in his tracks as he set eyes upon Link. Frightened, the little horse pricked his ears forward, nostrils widened, and sniffed.

'Well, hello there…' Link said thoughtfully and gently reached out with her hand to let the horse smell her.

Soon Gimel came sprinting around the corner, but stopped as he saw the two of them.

'Oh,' he said, 'I'd take it you've met Angel.'

'Angel?' Link echoed, as the horse gave a snort, relaxing. Link suddenly looked up, looking curiously from the horse to Gimel.

'He's the son of Tzadek…and Epone, isn't he?'

---

It was still dark outside when dawn approached. You could hint the sun by the horizon, fighting to get up. It was still pitch dark in Link's room as she slept a bit worried. She tossed in her bed, muttering things under her breath. Then there was a sudden sound in the room, like the sound of a pair of wings flapping.

Link awoke, sitting up in her bed.

'Amon?'

As she realized what she'd said, she frowned at herself. Amon, a falcon she'd once owned, was dead. Yet, she had heard the sound of wings. And not the small wings of a common bird, but by something big. Maybe even larger than a falcon.

Frowning, she pulled away the covers, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness. That's when he heard it. The faintest of sounds, but it was still… footsteps. In her room. Locating the sound, she suddenly hurled herself out of the bed, crashed into the figure who's footsteps she'd heard, and they tumbled on the ground until Link got to her feet. She aimed a random fist, and felt it connect with something soft followed by something cracking, probably ribs. The figure gasped, but managed to push Link away for a moment.

She stumbled back a few steps before targeting the figure again. But this time she could feel something sharp draw past her cheek. Backing instantly, she realized what it was. A knife. She went to tackle the figure, who took another swipe at her, but soon found himself knocked to the ground by Link. But no sooner than that, Link was kicked away, and when she looked up, she could see her attacker hurling out the window.

Getting to her feet, she threw herself after her attacker out the window. But when she got to her feet again, she found that he was gone. Looking up at the sky, she suddenly saw something fly away, possibly an eagle, but still… it didn't look exactly like an eagle.

It was then, as the adrenaline wore off, she felt a sharp pain in her side. Looking down, she saw to her horror blood oozing out from a wound in her side. Her attacker must've gotten to her with his knife. Gasping and clutching her side, she stumbled forth a few steps towards Gimel's room, but then, her powers leaving her, collapsed on the ground.

---

Waking at the sound of something, Gimel opened his eyes. He sat up in his bed, yawning, and saw that the sun was rising. Feeling restless, he got to his feet. He pulled on some clothes, dragged his fingers through his tousled blond hair, and opened the door to the ranch. It was going to be another fine day, in late spring Hyrule.

He stepped out on the grass and noticed Epone, trotting around on the grass, his head raised high, snorting worried.

'Hey, whoa,' he said, trying to calm the horse, but to no apparent prevail. He suddenly noticed the direction of Epone's nervous toss of his head, and the hand he'd stretched out to pet the horse fell to his side.

Link lay in the grass, and beside her, a large puddle of blood…

---

Link's eyelids fluttered as she turned her head on her pillow, floating from unconsciousness to consciousness. She finally opened her eyes, her gaze flickering around, not focusing on anything, just trying to locate herself. Then her gaze locked into the brown gaze of someone familiar. Dark brown eyes, dark tousled hair with the front stripes in a reddish tone…

As she realized it was Kratos leaning over her, Link gave a gasp, shoved him away, rolled out of the bed and made for her escape.

Only, she abruptly realized, as she got to her feet, there was a unbearable pain in her side, and her legs gave with. Desperate, she got to her feet, only to fall again. She tried again, to finally only be able to crawl away feebly.

'Well, good morning, Link,' the deep voice of Kratos said, not even trying to hide his amusement.

Link only muttered to reply as the man paced up to her, scooped her up in his arms and gently placing her on the bed again.

It was then she realized that she was in the castle.

There was so many things at once she wanted to say, like what the hell he was doing with her, what she was doing in the castle, how she'd got there, so she finally settled with saying, 'What…happened?'

'Dunno,' Kratos replied, sitting down next to her by the bed, 'the farm-kid brought you to the castle, all bleeding and dying, the Goddesses know why, and I patched you up, with a little help from Zelda, that is.'

It was as the words of _patched you up _and Kratos gaze that she noticed that she was only wearing a pair of small shorts and a big shirt. The shirt was unbuttoned, and to her horror she realized that she was bandaged around the chest and waist, as the wound was by her ribs. She quickly pulled the shirt tight around her, mustering her dignity again.

Kratos broke into a mischievous grin. 'Aw, Link, I'm flattered.' And then added, to her dark gaze, 'Don't worry, I saw nothing you wouldn't want me to see, Zelda fixed that part of you, I'm just adding the finishing touch. Although I wouldn't have minded to see-'

'I was attacked,' Link interrupted, not really wanting to hear what Kratos was about to say, as it made her highly uncomfortable. Kratos voice died away. 'There was someone in my room, with a knife,' she added, to his questioning gaze.

He gave a frown. 'Word has spread down in the city that the Heroine's back, maybe someone with a grudge…' He didn't finish his sentence. 'Well, lucky Mr. Farm-kid brought you here then, or you might've been all dead by now.'

Link tore her gaze away from the window, where she'd been gazing and locked her eyes with Kratos instead, and found that his gaze was surprisingly deep. There was a moment of silence between them, and Link knew that Kratos was studying her intently.

'You _do _know that I have a name, don't you?'

The light voice of Gimel broke their moment, and Link, relieved, turned to see the boy standing in the doorway, arms crossed.

'Yes, I do,' Kratos grinned, 'I just choose to forget it.'

Gimel, suddenly a pillow in his hands, chucked it at the laughing man, and landed it right in his face. Link looked at the two of them, surprised that the two men, that were so different had become such good friends.

'Alright, you want to give a girl some privacy?' Link interrupted them, hands on her hips, though she was sitting down. Kratos looked up.

'Right,' Gimel said, a slight smile on his lips, 'I'm sure you're very traumatized by the incident,' he said sarcastic, knowing her well.

'Shut up and get out,' Link said, though a smile was tugging on the corners of her mouth.

Eventually the two men left the room and Link was left alone to think. Gimel was right, she was not really upset by the situation. She'd been hurt lots of time before, for no particular reason. But that was just it. There was a reason for that assassination.

Carefully, she put her feet down on the stone floor, laying her weight on them. They held up, although her ribs throbbed a bit by doing so, and she slowly went to stand by the window.

She could not help to think of what Zelda had told her the day before. A traitor was among them. Someone who spoke to Ganondorf. Could that be the same person that had attacked her?

Being in a bit too much of pain for standing up, she carefully sat on the window's stone frame, pulling up her feet, her breath escaping her lungs as it pained her even more. As she relaxed her legs on the frame though, the pain eased.

---

Sheik was walking through the halls, looking for Zelda. It seemed as if everyone had disappeared this morning. He could not find Zelda, Gimel was not at the ranch, and even Kratos was gone. He was just descending the great stairs, when he noticed Zelda standing by the great doors, that were opened. Although her back was turned to him, he could see by her posture that something troubled her.

'What has happened?' he asked and she turned around, startled by his voice. Her expression suddenly said it all.

Forgetting all of a sudden all that had happened the past two years, his feelings took overhand.

'Link. Zelda, what happened to Link?'

'Sheik…' Zelda began, not really knowing how to put her words, 'Sheik, she… last night, she was attacked. By what I don't know-'

'Where is she?' The Sheikah didn't let the Queen finish.

'Just upstairs, second corridor. But Sheik, she's-'

She didn't have time to tell him that she was going to be fine, as the Sheikah had already turned and run up the stairs again.

Outside her room he suddenly stopped, his senses catching up to him. Link was in there, was he really ready to face her again?

And the answer was obvious.

The first thing he saw as he entered the room was that the bed was empty. Alarmed, he took another step into the room. That's when he noticed her. Sitting, in what seemed in like nothing but a dark green shirt, in the window, the wind sweeping through her hair. The sun reflected in her eyes, and suddenly Sheik could see some of the old Link in the figure before him. She hadn't yet noticed him as she sat there, but she looked slightly troubled.

She must have sensed him coming in as she turned her head, their eyes locking. At first he could have sworn he saw her eyes lit up in the way the used to when she saw him, but then they suddenly turned sad. Now over the shock that she was finally back, Sheik took a step forward, but did not walk all the way into the room.

'…Are you alright?' he asked, but he wasn't entirely sure if he referred to her wound he saw by her ribs. Something told him that she was in far more pain than that. …More pain than he was in.

'…yes.'

Her answer was faint, no more than a whisper, but as he heard her voice something inside him jolted. How he had missed that voice! Overwhelmed by his love, he decided to ignore his own pain for the time. Instead he sat down opposite her.

'What happened?' he asked in a concerned voice.

Link looked at Sheik, slightly puzzled over his actions. Was he not disappointed in her? Was he not angry with her? Nevertheless, she was incredibly thankful for his behavior. She could not stand having him mad with her. Her heart could simply not handle the burden. Still, now she was so near to him, but she could not embrace him. Her previous actions had done so. It was her own fault.

'I thought I heard…Amon,' she suddenly said. It had struck her that this man knew her better than all else. She could tell him what happened. Curiously, she could open up to him like no other.

He raised an eyebrow. 'Amon? Isn't he…'

'Dead, yes. Or, well, I don't know,' Link finished for him, her eyes drifting towards the horizon where the forest rose. Then she looked into his eyes again, her deep courageous blue eyes, and spoke. 'So it wasn't Amon. But it was something with wings.'

Sheik read her expression well. 'You think is was an angel.'

Link nodded. 'But I didn't suspect them to do something like this. Murder doesn't really seem like their thing.'

'And especially since the angels are on our side,' Sheik said thoughtfully. Link gave another silent nod. The Sheikah thought for a moment, and then suddenly got to his feet. 'I'll look into it,' he said, and walked to the door. There he suddenly stopped and turned to Link, who was looking out the open window again.

'Link,' he said softly, and she turned her head. He gave a small smile.

'Welcome back.'

And with that he left. Fortunately, Link thought, as she did not want him to see the streams of tears running down her face.


	9. Demons

**The Heroine: War of Shadow**

_Demons_

'People! People! Hear me in what I have to say!'

A man was standing upon a crate, so that people could easier see him. As Link passed him, sitting upon Epone, she could not help to listen to his speech. There was already a small crowd gathering around him, and more people were coming to listen to him. She softly tugged on the reins of Epone, and he came to a halt. She was almost over the town square, but could still easily hear him.

'I trust you have all heard the rumors of the return... of our Heroine!'

At the statement, people suddenly started to cheer. Link's eyes widened. They were cheering... .for her. But they had never met her. Did they even know what she had done?

'Two years ago, she single-handedly fought off the evil lord which cast a great shadow upon our golden lands!'

Link raised an eyebrow. Single-handedly? What about Sheik, who had aided her? Is it had not been for him, she would have been killed numerous times.

'Now, people say she disappeared, or that she was dead, but here me now as I say, the rumor is true: The Heroine had returned to her homelands! The Heroine has returned to Hyrule!'

The crowd erupted in cheers, so loud that Epone jerked in surprise, taking a step back. Link's eyes widened as she looked at the crowd, and her heart sunk. How could people…like her this much, after all the mistakes she had done?

---

The saddle creaked slightly as Link turned her head, looking at the castle. The noon sun shone at it, causing the towers to reflects its rays, looking as if the building was light itself. She turned her eyes back to Hyrule field, sighing slightly.

It had taken all her cunning to sneak out the castle. She knew her wound was still fresh and that she definitely shouldn't be out riding. It hurt a bit, but Link couldn't stand being in the castle, locked inside with nothing to do. She _had _to get out.

Epone gave a snort as a bumblebee flew past his nostrils, buzzing frightened. The stallion rose his head, trotting a few steps and turning to his left. The movement caused Link to look up, and she suddenly set her eyes upon the grey mountains in the east. Ganondorf's previous lair. She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. It was terrifying, looking upon the place where she had died. That place… scared the living wits out of her.

But suddenly, in the middle of that noon, she realized something. What was she going to do? Run away from it? She could not run away from all her fears. She had to confront her demons. She refused to bring more pain to herself or…- she drew a breath- Sheik.

'Time to confront our demons, Epone,' she said, and with a press of her heel, the stallion fell into a canter, hooves thundering softly upon the lush grass. And ever the grey mountains loomed closer and closer.

---

A sudden wind caught the front stripes of Sheik's hair, sending them flying around his red eyes. He was sitting upon Uraeas who, for once, was calm. She had her head high, simply enjoying how the wind blew through her coat and mane.

They were both standing upon a hill, which overlooked the great forest that surrounded the borders of Hyrule. Far away, he could sense the enemy's camp, where the armies were massing. It was not long now, until they marched towards Hyrule. Not that Hyrule could not defend itself. Its military was the greatest in all the near lying countries, and the technology was far more advanced than most kingdoms. Hyrule was famous for its swift cavalry, the Hylian army's strength.

So Sheik was not particularly worried of the outcome of the war. What he was worried for, was the Heroine. What he'd observed, he'd seen that she was a shadow of her former self. She carried an inner turmoil, something she refused herself to let out. And with this war… he feared for the safety of Link.

Also, he sensed she hid her feelings of him. But he had to know. Had to know what it was she was keeping from him. What it was that hurt her so much… but what she could not tell him.

Heaving a sigh, he turned Uraeas around, trotting down the hill, eventually hitting gallop, making his way back to the city.

---

A harsh wind passed over the rocky path, sending the small hairs round the hooves of Epone flying around. Another, stronger wind roared past, causing Link's long hair to fly round her face. Both she and her stallion were standing on the summit of one of the smaller mountains, overlooking what used to be the lands of Ganondorf. It was ruined, left like it was after that day two years ago. Grey boulders were lying here and there.

It was dead silent, the only sound heard was the occasional raw winds roaming the stony surface. But as Link turned her eyes to the ruins of Ganondorf's black tower she suddenly spotted someone standing by the blackening stones.

Frowning slightly, she urged Epone into pace down the rocky path. It was slippery, and the stallion slipped on small rocks on occasional times, but stayed on all his four legs. He fell into a canter once he reached the valley, but Link held him in, and they trotted up to the figure standing by the ruins.

The person turned around, and Link saw that it was in fact General Chase Lian. He gave a nod, acknowledging her, as she approached, and she raised an eyebrow.

'Confronting you demons?' she asked curious. He gave a sigh.

'I guess you could say that,' he replied. Link's puzzled expression told him to go on. The general's gaze was filled with something strange. 'When I was very young, during the rise of Ganondorf…' he looked away, at the black stones of what used to be the Evil King's tower, '…he came and destroyed my village… and my people.' He looked up again, his voice strong. 'That's what's lead me to the path of military, and where I am today.'

Link nodded thoughtfully, dismounting Epone.

'I feel like a traitor,' Chase suddenly said. Link, who had been studying the black stones of the tower for a moment, looked up, her attention once again turned to Chase.

'I'm almost… ,' he paused, 'glad he's back.'

As he felt Link's eyes on him he quickly realized that what he said must've hurt her feelings, since she was the one had cast him down after all. 'So that I can avenge my people, in a way,' he added.

He expected her to call him naïve and leave, but instead she sighed.

'It sounds crazy, doesn't it? But I know how you feel.'

Chase's puzzled gaze told her to go on. She suddenly felt very sad. 'Someone I knew died protecting me from Ganondorf, and as I finally went after him I felt like I was betraying him.' She heaved a sigh as her thoughts stayed on her brother, who had sacrificed himself.

'That's a tale of the Heroine I haven't heard before,' Chase said, giving a slight nod with his head. Link grimaced, she still didn't like people calling her the Heroine. People made her look better than she was. So much better. At the moment, she felt nothing like the Heroine at all.

'Yeah, well, not many know the truth of my… journey,' she sniffed. Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a violent shake in the ground. Link's hand immediately reached for her sword, her reflexes quick. But nothing happened. The ground grew calm again.

'Earthquakes roam these lands, they come every now and then,' Chase informed her. Then his eyes suddenly fell upon her sword. His eyes widened, but didn't look all that surprised.

'The Master Sword. You should hear the tales of that sword now.'

'Enlighten me,' Link said darkly. Kratos had already told her those tales when they first met, and she was a bit tired of it.

'Some say the sword has disappeared into the Sacred Realm, awaiting the return of the Heroine. Or that it was destroyed, but would be re-forged as she returned.'

'So what did you believe?' Link asked, looking at Epone who sniffed at the ground, blowing his nostrils which caused the black dust so fly up around his head.

'Exactly what I knew,' Chase replied. 'You were in possess of it.'

Link smiled, not friendly, but tricky.

'I suppose Zelda told you.'

He didn't reply, but she knew she was right. Then she gave a sigh.

'But what was I supposed to do? I might've been selfish in keeping it, but after all… I'm the only one who can wield it.' She gave a shrug.

'Indeed.'

Then Link suddenly looked up, realizing something.

'What are you doing out here, anyway?'

Chase looked up at the dead country. 'I come out here to think. No one ever dares to come here, man or beast. It is calm. Here I can plan our war,' he said grimly.

Link suddenly gave a grin. 'Yeah, no pressure. You're just in charge of the fate of the entire Hyrule.'

He grimaced. 'I…tend not to think in those ways.'

Link gave a more friendly smile, but then he looked up, a slight grin on his lips.

'But at least I'm not alone about that anymore.'

Link's grin froze. He gave a slight smile and a bow, then he turned to leave, leaving Link alone in the depressing country.

She grimaced. '…forgot about that,' she said, putting a hand on Epone's back. Suddenly silence settled upon the land, and the only noise heard was the raw wind. Link was looking at the fallen tower, seeing how the wind stirred the black dust upon it.

Suddenly she knelt, extending her hand. But as she slowly touched the stone she gave a sudden jolt, as the memory of her battle with Ganondorf flamed up in her, stronger than ever. All at once she felt the pain she'd felt that night, and she instantly pulled her hand away, panting slightly.

She looked down to the ground, as Epone softly buffed on her with his muzzle, heaving a sigh. She might have defeated Ganondorf in the end, but he had left a mark on her that she doubted ever would go away.

---

She had soon left the mountains, feeling slightly better at heart. She had at least confronted one of her fears, even though she knew it would not heal for a long time.

She got ready to ride to the castle again, when she suddenly set eyes upon the forest. On her adventure with Sheik those years ago, she remembered how he had shown her the woods. Back then they had been dangerous and dark, but now they were green and peace-looking.

Tugging on the reins, she turned Epone around, and they cantered to the forest.

---

Sheik held in Uraeas again as he reached the hilltop where he once again could see the heart of Hyrule, with the Lon Lon Ranch, the castle and city. The grey horse gave a snort, backing a few steps before coming to a halt. But something else had caught Sheik's attention. Cantering calmly to the woods, were Link and Epone. Her blond hair was lose, bouncing of the back of her. She was clad in a pair of green leggings, tucked into her brown boots. Over she wore a dark brown shirt, which danced as the wind caught the light fabric. Epone gave a snort as he increased his pace slightly, enjoying how the lush green grass felt under his hooves.

And suddenly, without really thinking, Sheik pulled the reins on Uraeas and trotted down the hill, after Link.

---

The bark was grey, and the last dead leaves were easily pulled away with the wind. At the shriveled roots lay several bits of dried bark, and the brown leaves crushed under Link's feet, as she walked silently through the dim forest glade.

She stopped to look at the dead Deku Tree. The forest glade was very silent; the singing from the birds in the rest of the forest did not reach in here, and the only sound heard was the wind, which echoed through the hollow trunk of the tree.

She felt sad to see the empty dead face of the Deku Tree. He had helped her and Sheik in their quest two years ago. She reached out to touch the bark, only to find that it crumbled by her touch. She let her hand fall to her side again.

_How did this happen? _

'His spirit was old, and no longer needed in these lands,' a soft voice said behind her, as if reading her thoughts. She spun around, startled by the voice she knew so well.

He stood leaning to a tree by the glade, looking at her silently. He wore a pair of dark leggings tucked into high boots, and a beautiful dark red shirt with a gold embroiling.

Her mouth fell open, but she quickly closed it again. What was she going to say?

'What happened to him?' she finally managed to say.

He straightened up and walked forth to the dead tree, looking at it.

'Shortly after you saved Hyrule, his spirit vanished. He was well over two centuries years old, and when peace had returned to the lands, he did no longer have to protect the forest. It had a new protector now.' He turned his gaze to her.

'You.'

'Sheik…' Suddenly the name she had longed for so long to call slipped out of her.

His gaze changed, into something Link found hard to read. 'I just don't know to say..' she started stupidly, trying to say something that could express the guilt she felt.

He stepped up to her. 'I'm so sorry,' she said quietly, close to tears. As he looked into her eyes he saw something. She was not ready to tell him. Tell him what she was hiding. What she had left for, he guessed. But when she was ready to tell him, he would be there.

He took her hand. 'For now,' he said softly, 'all I need is to know is that it's really you.'

Tears fell down her cheeks as he silently pulled her into a hug, and they embraced as if their lives were going to end the next moment. Feeling Link fit so perfectly in his arms again made Sheik's eyes tear as well.

* * *

**Hi everyone! Sorry the chapter was so short.. I promise the next one will be a bit longer!**


	10. Speculations

_Speculations_

'The army of the shadow is growing. It will not be long now until they make their move.' Zelda fell silent and turned from the window to face the others. 'Before then, we have much to do.'

Her eyes met Link's who read her thoughts. _Like finding the traitor…_

They were all in the castle, the Queen and her council, which existed of her closest friends. Link looked up, looking around the party. Beside her stood Sheik, and next to him General Chase, who stood bent over the table in the middle, over which a map lay. Next to him stood Kratos, who regarded the general with an odd expression. Link had noticed that the two men didn't seem too fond of each other. Suddenly sensing Link's gaze on him, Kratos looked up at her, giving her a wink. Link's expression turned dark, and she looked at Zelda again. She still did not like that man.

As the rest of the party moved on to discuss the strategy of the war, Link's thoughts wandered in on the traitor. If there was one, it was someone close to them. Link looked around the party again. Though the traitor would be able to travel to the Sacred Realm, and as far as Link knew, only Sheik, Zelda and herself could do that.

Link's eyes shot to Kratos. What if he had found a way to… Link interrupted her own thoughts, shaking her head slightly. She did not like the man, but that was no reason to state him as the traitor. At least not until she knew more. So giving a sigh, she tuned in on the conversation again.

'The heart of Hyrule is in a valley, so we have the advantage,' Chase said, looking at the Queen. 'If we attack them from both sides of the valley, we have a mighty chance. I will take the infantry from the woods, Sheik and Kratos will handle the defenses in front of the city, and the cavalry…'

His voice trailed off, and it slowly dawned upon Link that he was looking at her. She slowly rose her eyes from the map, looking at the general incredulously.

'Me? You want me to lead the cavalry?'

Chase gave a nod. 'I am confident you will handle it. What else would the Heroine do in this war?'

Link fell silent. Her eyes shot to Sheik, who had a slight warm smile in his eyes, to Kratos, who was grinning at her.

The man's wink suddenly made her confident.

'I will do it,' she nodded, rising to her full height.

The group soon concluded their meeting, and both Chase and Kratos disappeared, leaving the Queen, Sheik and Link left.

'I don't understand,' Link said, turning to the window, sighing, revealing her thoughts. 'Who could be the one giving Ganondorf information? The three of us are the only ones who can travel to the Sacred Realm, as far as I know.' She turned again to look at the other two, finally confessing her thoughts, confusion in her eyes.

'As far as you know, yes,' Zelda said, giving a slight sigh. Link shot her eyes towards the Queen, who motioned for the two to follow her.

They walked through a corridor together under silence, as Link wanted Zelda to continue. Sheik walked behind them, silent, as he observed the two women. Link was slightly taller than Zelda, looking slightly more human than the pale and fragile Queen. Both of them had blue eyes, though in different shades. Link's were the darkest of blue, while Zelda's were of a paler sapphire color.

'Since the Sages' power are important in this war,' Zelda continued, 'it is important that we speak to them in the Sacred Realm.'

Link, who had been looking at a painting in the corridor, looked up. 'We?' she echoed.

'You two,' the Queen nodded to her friends, 'me… and Kratos and Chase.'

Link raised her eyebrows, but did not say anything. Sheik looked at her, reading her all too well. He cocked his head to the side, causing some of the front stripes of his hair to cover his eyes charmingly. 'You suspect one of them?'

Link's dark eyes shot to him. It was funny, as both Sheik and Link were getting used to each other's presence again. It as almost, as Link's eyes settled upon Sheik, like old times. Before all this, when they had only been friends. Or in the beginning of their love. A small smile tugged on Sheik's lips, but he suppressed it. Suddenly for the first time in the time of two years, Sheik felt suddenly lighter at heart.

'Maybe I do suspect one of them,' Link replied shortly, and said no more about it. If Sheik was right, Link was suspecting one of them. But she was not going to tell her reasons for it. Not now, at least.

'Who else has access to the Sacred Realm?' Link asked, turning again to Zelda. The Queen clasped her hands peacefully, looking at Link with what could be described as mild patience.

'Link, the Sacred Realm is no place you can walk into lightly. The door is always sealed, with the Sages the only ones having the power to open it.'

Link heaved a sigh. 'I know,' she said tiredly, sinking down to a bench, which happened to stand against a wall in the corridor. 'It just… doesn't make any sense.'

They all fell into a silence: Link, because she had fallen into deep thoughts; Zelda, because she was awaiting what Link would say next; and Sheik, who never said much anyway.

_Then who could enter the Sacred Realm…alone? And more, gain access to Ganondorf? _Link's experience of the Sacred Realm was small; she had only been there once, when she'd pulled out the Master Sword from its pedestal. How could she return? Was the Master Sword her key to the Sacred Realm? With a determined draw of breath, Link decided she would pay the Sacred Realm a visit, to speak to the Sages.

Suddenly she realized she'd been in thoughts for a long time, and she looked up at Zelda again. The Queen read her expression and gave a smile. 'I doubt we will win this war merely by discussing solutions. We'll leave the matter for the time being,' she concluded, looking at her two friends and smiling.

---

Zelon was a large horse, with strength hard to match. The stallion's temper was a fierce one as well, matching the dark color of his coat. It took one stubborn rider to tame him.

Luckily, Kratos was well capable of taking care of the horse. He could soften the horse enough to trot calmly under him, with his neck arched gracefully.

Although he managed to control his wild horse with ease, Kratos was not paying much concentration on his way to the Lon Lon Ranch. His thoughts were turned elsewhere. He knew Zelda had started to suspect that there was a traitor among them. He also knew that Link would soon be one the case of finding this traitor. And… she would suspect Kratos. Giving a sigh in a mix of gravity and humor, he urged his stallion into gallop up the hill.

Of course she was going to suspect him. She had no trust of him whatsoever. The morning the day before, when she had awoken after the failed assassination… He almost laughed as he thought of it.

But then he realized something more serious. She did not know of his past. If she learned of his people – traitors to Hyrule – they would arrest him then and there. Pulling on Zelon's reins, - a bit too violently, as the horse gave an irritated snort and kicked out with his hind legs – they came to a halt, just outside the ranch, looking at the setting sun.

Only Zelda and General Chase knew of his past. Others merely judged him as a common thief, due to his appearance, perhaps save for those who knew him. But he was not going to tell Link. Not before the war. Though… -he gave a smile- it was not as if she wanted to know. She really did not like him.

Lighting up in a mischievous grin, he spurred Zelon forward, who trotted quickly through the gates of the ranch.

---

Epone gave a snort, as a small bumblebee happened to get too close to his nostrils. The frightened little insect buzzed away, as fast as his small wings could carry him. Taking a bite out of the fresh green grass, the stallion then rose his head, as he sensed a presence. He spotted his friend Link, sitting in the grass near the gates of the small field, looking tired and staring absentmindedly at the ground. They were just behind the castle, where there was a small private field where travelers could leave their horses. Only two horses were in this field, a grey mare and Epone.

The light-built stallion pricked his ears forward eagerly, trotting forth to his 'partner in crime', stopping only inches before her. Still, she did not react. Little did the horse know of what troubled the Heroine. Weighing her head in her hand, her thoughts swirled. She felt stressed of the business with the traitor. The war was looming closer, and she had no idea of who it was. Is she did not find him in time, would the chances of Hyrule's survival decrease? And worse, would Ganondorf return? …Link could not deny another worry taking form in her heart. The worry of the return of the Evil King. She had not forgotten about that man, his red hair, the dark skin, the yellow eyes… Just thinking about it made her skin shiver. Her battle with Ganondorf had left her scarred. Not only did she carry the physical scars, - most of them on her back after her previous battle with Ganondorf, where he had ripped her severely on her back with his sword – but emotional as well. The image of him made her blood go cold. The fear of meeting him again worried her. Should he return, would she be able to stand up against him?

She was brutally brought back from her thoughts as Epone suddenly buffed on her shoulder, quite rudely. Link had not noticed that the stallion had trotted up to her, and now he was irritated over the fact that she had ignored him. Smiling softly, she went to scratch him by the white stripe on his forehead, just under his white mane, where he knew he loved to be scratched.

Suddenly the other horse in the paddock looked up, giving a high-pitched whinny. Both Link and her stallion looked up at the small dark grey horse, but the mare was not looking at them. Tossing her head, - causing her long curly dark mane to dance – she gave a prance, and then trotted forth to a man. A man with light blond hair.

'Is she yours?' Link asked Sheik quietly. The Sheikah had already sensed her, since he did not seem startled by her presence.

Link had, at least for this day, felt slightly lighter at heart. And now, she realized, it was because she and Sheik was becoming used to each other again. She was grateful for it: she did not know how she would have lasted in Hyrule is she could not handle to meet Sheik. Though she knew the Sheikah was far from forgiving her. And as time passed, Link' guilt grew stronger. She had to tell him. Why she left. But she was afraid of what he would say. Would he hate her?

'Yes, she is mine,' Sheik replied with a slight grin. 'Gimel gave her to me.'

Link suddenly rose from the ground, pacing over to the two, reaching out a hand to pet the grey horse. And oddly, the nervous horse seemed to calm in her presence.

'What happened to Tzadek?' Link asked with a wry grin.

'Well,' Sheik mused, 'I think Gimel felt it was enough by giving away _one _of his favorite horses,' and looked at Epone, who was suspiciously eyeing the bumblebee, who had dared to come back. 'He wanted to keep Tzadek. And who can blame him? Have you seen better friends?'

'No,' Link said, with a light laugh, her thoughts on Gimel. Never had she met a nicer man. Well, save for Sheik.

Sheik's eyes rested upon Link, as the laughter escaped her lips. Just what was it that stopped him from kissing her then and there? A lot of things, he knew. But did he really care? He loved her. Then he looked away. But he would never have peace of mind if he didn't know.

'How is your wound?' Sheik suddenly asked as he noticed Link wincing slightly as she shifted her weight. The girl's hand moved to her ribs, feeling gently at her torso, biting her lip as she did. It had only been a day since she had woken up in the castle, when Kratos had healed her.

'You should not have been out riding yesterday,' Sheik said, but then added with a mused tone, 'buy you already know that, don't you?'

'_Yes,' _Link shot back in a impatient, yet smug tone. 'But you know me,' she could not help to say, 'I can't sit still. I had to get out.'

On the words _you know me _Link suddenly cleared her throat, looking away. She shouldn't have said that. It was too fresh. But the Sheikah appeared not to have heard.

'And the assassin, have you heard more news?' he asked instead.

'Uh, no,' Link said, realizing she had not thought about it at all. 'I forgot about him. But who could it be?'

Sheik looked at her, the worry clearly visible in his eyes. '…I do not know,' he said, 'but I know he will return. You have to be careful. We cannot lose you.' _I cannot lose you. _

They both fell silent, looking at each other for a moment. _No… oh nonono, _Link thought, as she suddenly found herself drowning in his deep red pools for eyes. She could not let this happen. No. It hurt too much. She could not let herself fall for Sheik. Not again. Why did the Goddesses have to be against her in this battle?

'I have to go,' she quickly shot out, and then hurried out from the paddock, even forgetting to close the gate behind her.

All three of them looked at her, Epone giving a frustrated snort for being neglected.

'She is the strangest of girls, no?' Sheik asked the stallion, letting his fingers softly run down the white stripe in his face, where Link's fingers had been only minutes before…

---

Meanwhile, far away from Link and Sheik, outside the forest, a figure came galloping with great haste. He was hooded and cloaked; the same figure that had been speaking to Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm. The one Link and Zelda referred to as the traitor. He rode a plain horse, one he had taken from the stables in the castle, a simple brown one that no one would notice was gone or recognize. As he reached the outskirts of the forest, he held in his horse to a trot, who snorted tiredly.

The man had reached the armies' camp. The army of Ganondorf. It was a huge valley, with tents as far as the eye could see. Most of the army consisted of the wicked men Ganondorf had brewed – Ugluks – but also of men who had rallied to him, form different parts of the lands. The leader of the army, an unusually large Ugluk, named Rásh spotted the hooded man from Hyrule and stood up. Rásh's skin was dark, but his face pasty, and he was stronger than most of the men in the rest of the army. His choice of weapon was a great axe, as Rásh was an Ugluk that would terrify even the fiercest of warriors.

He walked up to the man, who held in his horse only inches from the Ugluk.

'My master grows impatient,' the hooded man growled to him.

'We will be ready,' Rásh snapped back. He did not like taking orders, especially not from this simple man from the land he hated, Hyrule.

'You mind who you are speaking to,' the man barked, moving back his cloak to reveal a sharp sword. 'Now tell me why you are not ready _now.' _

Rásh growled, but settled to answer his question. 'Some of the catapults were late, since our smithy has not been working like it should. Otherwise we are ready, but we cannot bring down the wall of the great city if we have no weapons for that,' Rásh explained to the man, like he was small child who needed explaining in such fashion.

'I _know,' _the hooded man shot back impatiently. 'Fine then. Send word to me as soon as you are ready, and await my orders.'

Rásh settled for nodding to the man's order, and turned to leave.

'One more thing,' the hooded man said. Rásh heaved a sigh, turning yet again.

The man upon the horse rose an eyebrow to the Ugluk, though it was not visible because of the shadows his hood created. 'I understand you hired an assassin to get rid of the Heroine.'

Rásh looked at him with an odd expression. 'Yes, we did. But the assassin came to us, saying _you_ asked for her death.'

The hooded man frowned. 'I did no such thing. Luckily the assassin failed, since my master demanded that he wants to kill the Heroine for himself.' The hooded man sighed to himself. Yet another trouble. He did not need a roguish assassin on his hands right now, trying to claim the fame of killing the Heroine. 'Rásh,' he said, and the Ugluk looked up. The man gave a nod. 'Get rid of the assassin.'

Then he turned his horse around, galloping into the forest again.

---

The Master Sword, the most famous blade throughout all lands, not only Hyrule, lay on the stones, next to Link, who was sitting beside it, looking at it. It's blade was clear and cold, like an icicle. The hilt, as Link ran her fingers over it, was the deepest of blue, like Link's eyes. At the top of the hilt, it was proud with a ruby, created by Din herself. It was the sword of the Goddesses, brought by them to the Hero, the tool which was to cast down evil.

Link looked up. She was in the one place she knew she could find peace. The Temple of Time. It was here she had found the Master Sword, resting in a pedestal, and hade done so since the last Hero of Time placed it there. It was a place of history, the place of her roots. The place she belonged to. Scrambling to her feet, Link looked up to the ceiling. She knew no one would find her, as the old temple rested deep under the castle. Only she, Zelda and Sheik knew the entrance, and this was about the last place they would look for her.

Though the temple was deep underground, a light somehow had found it's way, shining into the otherwise darkish chamber. The light hit the pedestal, which was upon the platform Link stood on. Link looked at the pedestal, wondering how to reach the Sacred Realm. She had been feeling for some time now that she should speak to the Sages about the traitor. In order to reach the Sacred Realm, you needed some kind of key. Of course, Zelda was a Sage herself, and could travel whenever she wanted to. Sheik traveled to the Sacred Realm whenever he was called by the Sages, and Link guessed Chase and Kratos only traveled to the Sacred Realm with Zelda. But how could Link reach the realm? She was not a Sage, and she had never been called by them either. Her eyes fell upon the Master Sword. Last time she had been up with the Sages, was when she had pulled that out of this pedestal. What if she pushed it in again?

Then the sword, as it lay upon the stones, suddenly gave a violent tremble, only for a second, and then lay still again. Link's eyes widened in surprise, and she took a step back. Never had she seen such behavior from that sword. Silence fell upon the chamber, when nothing could be heard, saved for Link's silent breathing. Hesitating for a moment, Link then took the few steps, slowly kneeling by her sword. She reached out with her fingers, to pick it up, but she stopped herself. Then she gave a grin. Silly her. She had only imagined it, she decided. Determined, she reached out to grasp her hand around the hilt.

Too late she realized her mistake.

As her fingers touched the blue metal, the Master Sword shot up, high into the air, bringing Link with her. It was a peculiar feeling, like being sucked up, higher and higher, into another realm. But the movement was an incredible strain, especially on Link's wound. She felt it tear open yet again, and she screamed in pain as her skin ripped apart. Finally she blacked out, as she felt herself slow down, and softly land on something hard and cold.

'Link?'

She faintly heard a voice, wondering where it came from.

'Wake up, Link.'

Finally she opened her eyes, and found herself looking at darkness, accompanied by the sound of dripping water. Then, with a groan, she rolled over, and realized that she was in the Sacred Realm. In the Chamber of Sages, no less. Sitting up with a sigh, she suddenly locked eyes with a pair of pale blue eyes.

'Link? Oh, thank Goddess you are alright.'

Link stared at the person in front of her, still dizzy and unable to place the person in front of her. Long, dark brown hair, pale skin… oh, and of course the huge white feathery wings.

'_Gilraen?' _Link exclaimed baffled. 'What are _you_ doing here?'

Link had met this angel two years ago, on her quest to find the Master Sword. Actually, the angel had saved her, but that was another story.

The angel gave a humble smile. 'Well, ah, I'm a sage now, aren't I?'

Link's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. 'A sage? Since when?'

'I do not count years,' Gilraen said, helping Link to her feet, upon the bluish platform they were standing on, surrounded by darkness, and dripping water. The Sacred Realm.

'But,' Gilraen said, 'not for that long. When Ganondorf ruled last time…' his expression turned sad, '…he killed a lot of people. Even Sages. And I,' he said, sweeping out with his hand to the platform, 'am the new Sage of Light.'

'…oh,' was all Link could say. Then the angel focused his eyes upon Link again.

'And I am so sorry. We heard your call, and infused the Master Sword with the power to bring you here, but I did not know of that wound of yours…'

Link waved airily with her hand. 'No worries,' she said, 'I've been through worse.'

'So you have,' the Sage said with a crooked smile. 'I healed it best I could, however.'

He was right. The wound did not hurt as much now, Link realized as she shifted her weight.

'So to what do we owe the pleasure of your company, Heroine?' Gilraen asked, drawing a breath. 'Well,' Link started, looking around the chamber, 'I have come for some information.'

'I see,' Gilraen nodded, as Link had told him all about her suspicions with the traitor. 'Well,' he then said, 'I am sorry to say then that I'm afraid I know nothing more than you do, Link.'

'But how can they travel to the Sacred Realm in the first place?' Link asked. 'I know Zelda is a Sage, but…' her voice trailed off.

Gilraen looked down at her. 'Do you know how you just reached this Realm?'

Link shook her head. 'No.'

'You called us.'

Link looked at him, baffled. 'No, I didn't. I just wanted to come here, that's all- Ooh,' she said as it dawned upon her.

Gilraen nodded. 'Exactly. Those with the authority to travel here, may do so merely by having the desire to do so, and we will call them,' Gilraen concluded for her.

Link nodded thoughtfully. At least now she knew how the traitor came here. Once granted with the power to travel here, there was nothing stopping him. Then she looked up.

'But how can one reach Ganondorf?'

Gilraen paced a few steps towards Link, a grave expression upon his face. 'The Sacred Realm is not a place of matter. It is a place of thought and will.'

'So…' Link started, waiting for the angel to conclude.

'So once you are here,' Gilraen said, 'you simply decide where you want to go.'

'Like traveling to the Sacred Realm in the first place?' Link asked. 'You just want to?'

Gilraen nodded. _Okay, _Link thought, _let's give it a shot. I want to-_

She barely had time to finish her thought, as she suddenly appeared upon another platform. It was a dark grey platform, made out of stone, unlike the Chamber of the Sages. The platform led to a stair, which led to a huge set of stone doors.

'Wow,' Link breathed, as she dared to exhale, and walked further on the platform. 'So this is…'

'The Seal of the Six Sages, yes,' Gilraen finished for her. She spun around. The Sage had followed her, now pacing forth to the door, looking at it with a grave expression. Link, suddenly shivering in her thin red shirt, paced up to him.

'Beyond this door,' Gilraen said in a grim voice, 'is Ganondorf.' A shudder passed through Link's body, as she looked up the door. 'No one can open this door, saved for us Sages. But as long as we live, it will be sealed. For ever,' Gilraen said, his voice then turning to silence.

Link heaved a sigh. This was it. Dead end. The traitor could not open the door even if he tried. It would only work is he forced a Sage to do it, but he could never pull that off.

'I don't think,' Gilraen said, reading Link's thoughts, 'there is anything we can do at the moment. Perhaps now, the only thing we can do, it wait for the traitor to make a mistake.'

Link slowly nodded, eyes still fixed upon the doors. And suddenly, -perhaps it was only her imagination – she thought herself hear a breath escape the chamber before her.

Somehow, it called to her.

* * *

**Come on folks, give me some reviews now:D**


	11. Phantom Love

**Ack! No reviews! None at all for the previous chapter! I know there's been something wrong with FanFiction's e-mail service (at least on my part) but people come on… or else I'm gonna start holdind my chapters ransom for long reviews!! **

**And yet I choose to update anyway… **

**Oh, well, at least I have my fateful reviewers, (you three know who you are! Thank you so much!)**

* * *

**The Heroine: War of Shadow**

_Phantom_ _Love_

_Link spun around to crash her sword once again into Ganondorf's one. He did an attempt to hit her with his free hand but this time she ducked and flipped her legs around on the ground, causing him to fall. She rose her sword, about to stab it into him but then he used his legs to kick her in her stomach. She dropped her sword and flew over the black stones, but managed to land on her feet. She knew power wouldn't kill Ganondorf so she had to use her brains. Her sword lay a few meters ahead of her, but Ganondorf was too close. If she would try to grab it he would surely stab her by the time she grasped it. Slowly she stepped closer to her enemy. He grinned and held his sword ready. The sword was only a couple of feet away from her but it would be impossible to grab it. And she was shieldless too. She looked up to Ganondorf and smiled. He looked puzzled for a flash of a moment, and then Link suddenly ran forth, kicked the sword so that it slid under the legs of Ganondorf, and at the same moment Link summoned her force to do a high jump in the air, flip over, and landed behind Ganondorf. And before he had time to react she grabbed the sword and stabbed him in the back. _

'_Aargh!' Ganondorf jerked in pain, stumbled forth a couple of steps and turned around to face Link. He looked at her for a long moment, and then he collapsed on the ground. _

_Link panted heavily, as she rested for a while where she stood, not sure if she wanted to face the fallen Ganondorf. _

_After a while though, she slowly stepped forth to him. He lay still on the ground, eyes closed. She regarded him with hatred, his dark skin and foul expression. Funny, she would have expected more when she killed him. A sort of satisfaction, or maybe even some explosions or something. Ganondorf didn't really give Link that really-dead-and-defeated-all-to-your-credit feeling, like the Shadow Riders had given her. She leaned closer, surveying Ganondorf, his red hair and dark skin. Then suddenly he shot up his eyes, causing Link to jerk in surprise, and then he hit her with his surprisingly strong fist, clearly using the Triforce of Power and electricity in his palm. Link flew over the platform and landed on the other side, beside her sword, and passed out for a second from the hard hit. She didn't wake up until Ganondorf had risen and planted his large foot on her chest, giving her problems to breathe. _

_He gave out an evil laugh. _

'_Did you really think I was dead?' Link gasped for air. 'Nobody kills me!' Then he shot out his hand and a stream of energy hit Link with such force that she was nailed to the stone. She screamed in pain. This was it, now she was sure to die. Her quest had failed. Hyrule would be destroyed. _

_Suddenly, despite the pain surging through her body, Link managed to reach back to her quiver, and grab on to one of the light arrows. As it reached the air, it flickered a moment before turning bright. Link grasped it in her hand, battling for a while against the pain and then she gathered all her force that was left to jam it right through Ganondorf's leg. _

_The pain in Link's body suddenly stopped and she jerked for a while, the black energy still in her body._

_Ganondorf stopped dead, looking down at his leg. The arrow stuck out from his leg, at first not doing anything. Then slowly, the light spread out to his body, through his veins, spreading out the pureness from the goddesses themselves through his body. Finally he screamed and started to jerk with pain. He stepped away from Link, screaming, trying to get the pain and light out from his body. Suddenly his body was replaced with pure light for a moment. He screamed and then he fell to his knees, paralyzed. _

_Link, now on her feet, weak and panting, would not make any mistakes this time. She grabbed her sword, ran forth and with a shout she drove the Master Sword through his body. _

_Suddenly, it was as if everything fell silent. Slowly, Ganondorf looked up, rose very slowly and looked down at Link. Only the wind could be heard as he did an attempt to raise his sword but then his arm was suddenly shaking, as it seemed that a light tried to emerge from inside of him. The phenomena spread to the rest of his body. A great light was fighting to break through him. He grunted, jerking, and then his body was shot out to a stretch and the light soared through his body until it suddenly vanished in a tremendous explosion of light. _

_The explosion blew Link away over the edge, falling down from the tower. It was strange, as everything seemed to happen very slowly. But she was not afraid, it was as if all her feelings had vanished and she soared through the sky as if paralyzed, and above her she could see the light from Ganondorf's explosion…_

Link sat up with a jerk, panting heavily. As she realized she was still in her bed, in her room, safe in the castle, - not back on the tip of that tower, fighting for her life – she dared to exhale, slowly. She looked out the window. The sun was rising. Not able to sleep anymore, she pulled away the covers, walking on bare feet over the cold stone floor. Her nightgown, - a dark green one made out of silk, which she had received from Zelda – danced around her legs, as she walked into the bathroom. There she stopped, looking at herself in the mirror.

Nightmares form her battle with Ganondorf hunted her almost every night, making her dread her sleep. Even though the Evil King was destroyed, he had managed to send her this last pain, after all. She gave another sigh, leaning down to the sink, cleaning her face with some cold water. As she looked up to the mirror again, she stopped. Had those two years changed her that much? Yet, slowly, she could feel herself returning more to herself. She could trust people again, depend on them. But she could not put her love in them. Even if she wanted to.

---

At the same moment Link had awoken, so had Sheik, two floors under her room. He, too, rose from his bed, walking into the bathroom, looking into the mirror, judging what he saw. His tanned body reflected in the glass, as he was not wearing a shirt, only a pair of lose dark trousers. His blond hair fell into his red eyes as his gaze rested elsewhere. Upon his left chest, over his heart, was a tattoo. The tattoo of the Sheikah. It had the rough form of an eye, with thick eyelashes. Under the eye a thick tear formed, but it had not yet left the eye, but stayed, just below the eyelashes. Running a hand though his hair, he then bent down to splash his face with some cold water, unaware of that Link was doing the same thing. Straightening up again, he found a sudden urge to walk out to his balcony. He did so, walking out to the railing, leaning onto it, his red eyes watching the sunrise, as it slowly spread its rays of light over the sky.

---

Suddenly, as Link had finished tying her hair into a lose plait, she heard something. The unmistakable sound of wings flapping. Forgetting all about her previous thoughts, Link pressed herself to the wall, quieting her breath.

With a _thud, _the assassin landed in her room, through the window. Link could hear the footsteps, as it moved around in her room. As it moved to the bed, Link could almost get clear view of it. She frowned however, as all she could see was dark feathers. What was this thing?

With its back turned to Link, she realized this was her chance. Cursing herself for leaving the Master Sword at her bed, she then leapt out the bathroom, aiming a fist at the assassin. The figure yelled in surprise, but spun around fast, grabbing Link's other arm. It was a confusing battle; the sun had just risen, bringing some light into the room, but all Link could see was a mix of black feathers and red hair. The assassin suddenly brought a fist to Link's ribs, managing to hit the exact point of Link's wound. Giving a gasp of pain, Link's knees suddenly buckled with and she fell to the ground. But she recovered fast, looking up.

'Oh, now you've just made me _mad,' _she growled, leaping to her feet again. There was another sound, the one of a knife being pulled out. But as he moved to take a swipe at Link, she ducked, and suddenly found her shield. Grabbing it, she used it to hit the assassin in the face, and with a yell, it backed several steps, holding its nose. Link lunged for it, but it quickly dashed around, causing Link to hit the wall hard instead. She could feel her chin rip up as it connected to the stony surface of the wall. Link turned, her back to the open window, getting ready to charge her attacker. But she was too late. The mix of red hair and dark feathers suddenly came at her, pushing her out the window. With a shriek, Link tumbled over the window sill, falling quickly towards the ground. The fall would be her death, as she was several stories up.

But suddenly, out of nowhere, she found herself suddenly being caught by a pair of strong, warm arms. Trembling with fear from her fall, she instinctively wrapped her arms around her savior, burying her head in his chest. She did not have to look at the man to tell that it was Sheik. She had never felt so safe in her life, as she did in his arms. Forgetting all about the assassin and the fall, she merely breathed in the scent of the Sheikah. Until Sheik suddenly kneeled, putting her down on the floor, not trusting her to stand.

Somehow, the fight and fall had made Link more dizzy that she thought, and her vision swirled with Sheik's blond hair and red eyes, looking at her worriedly, as she sunk to the ground, her head spinning. His hands roamed all over her body, searching for wounds, and she could feel his fingers softly wipe away the blood on her cheek, tracing the small scar with his fingers. _Those hands… they have healing touch…._

'Link? Link, are you alright? What happened?' he asked, his deep soft voice reverberating through his chest, echoing through her head, as he held Link close, looking at her face. His hand moved to cup her chin, and finally Link came around, shaking her head slightly. Funny, she must've hit her head against the wall harder than she thought. As she was able to focus her gaze again, her eyes locked onto his bare chest, and the tattoo. Forgetting all else, she suddenly frowned. What a beautiful tattoo. She knew of the mark of the Sheikah, but never had she seen that tattoo on Sheik. She had never seen him without a shirt at all, and was more than impressed over what she saw. Unable to resist the urge, she suddenly reached out with her fingers, grazing the tattoo with her fingertips. Sheik, however, appeared not to have noticed, as he suddenly gave Link a little shake, bringing her back to then and there.

'Link, what happened?'

Her eyes finally locked with his, and she sucked in a lungful of air as she remembered. 'Assassin,' she gasped, turning her eyes up to her window again. Sheik followed her gaze, standing up.

'There is a battle going on in there,' he suddenly said, his eyes seeing something Link's could not. He suddenly moved to go inside the room, into the castle and up to Link's room, but she stopped him – in the rush of the moment – by taking his hand.

'Wait!' she breathed, and he returned to his side. None of them noticed that they still held hands, as they looked up to see what Link had seen.

Through the window, the assassin and another person suddenly jumped out, falling through the air. But they did not fall as fast as Link had however, as the assassin had wings. Great black feathered wings. It _was _an angel, just as Link had suspected. But not one like Gilraen, since his wings were white… Link lost attention to the angel as she suddenly realized who the person battling with the assassin was. Kratos!

'Is that…?' Link asked, baffled. Sheik gave a nod. 'He guarded your door this night. Both he and Zelda… and I, knew the assassin was coming back, and he volunteered,' he said. He looked down at Link, who was still holding his hand. As she realized this however, she promptly let go, adverting her eyes.

Kratos and the angel soon reached the ground. Sheik grabbed a white shirt and pulled it on, only buttoning half the way, then going the fastest way to the fight: down the balcony. His balcony was merely above ground level, and he swiftly leapt down, but turned to help Link down.

'You seem to be forgetting I took on Ganondorf himself,' she said with a wry grin, pretending to be insulted by his actions. Sheik's lips widened into a grin, but stayed.

'And fainted when battling wolves,' he shot back. Link was forced to be silent, since she had no reply, when she concentrated on leaping down. And Link was grateful that he caught her when she jumped down. Once _again, _it seemed like her wound by her ribs had been ripped open. But as she was once again in his arms, he suddenly hesitated on putting her down, as their eyes locked once again, their faces only inches away.

_This can't be happening, _Link thought miserably, as she, like always, felt herself falling into his eyes.

However, they both looked up as there were sounds coming from the hill. Sheik put Link down, and they both ran to the scene, where Kratos had managed to get the assassin in a grip where it could not escape. Holding its arm behind its back, Link could finally see what it was…

It was a woman. A female angel. She was small, but her great black wings large, formed to give ultimate speed. Her hair was long, though a bit shorter than Link's, and in the brightest of red. She was bare-feet and clad in a simple black jumpsuit. Her eyes were dark, the darkest of brown, as she narrowed her eyes, glaring at Link as soon as she spotted her.

Link stopped only a yard away from the angel, looking at her in wonder.

'What are you looking at?' the angel spat, clear loathe in her voice.

'You,' Link replied sternly, narrowing her eyes. 'Why did you try to kill me?' she barked.

But she did not reply, instead she spat at Link's feet, who backed several steps, into Sheik's chest, who grabbed hold of her so that she would not fall. But the Heroine was now angry. Very angry.

'You!' she started, curling her fists in anger, stalking up to the angel.

'What'cha gonna do?' the angel asked daringly. 'Kill me?'

'There's an idea,' Link snarled, and moved to attack her. She would have, as well, if Sheik had not calmly grabbed her shoulders, pulling her back. It took some doing however, and he was forced to pull her back with some strength to calm her. 'Link, calm down,' he said softly, noticing the amused look on Kratos' face.

'Some Heroine,' the angel snorted mockingly. 'Can't even-_aah!' _

She broke off in mid-sentence as Kratos had suddenly hardened his grip significantly, causing a great pain in her arm. 'Enough,' Kratos said in a dangerous voice, enough to scare the angel. 'Tell us who you are.'

'No!' she refused, at least until Kratos hardened the grip even more, and she yielded.

'…Chiyo,' she said quietly, but they all heard her.

'Are you from the City of Angels?' Sheik asked, losing the grip on Link slightly, who snorted in anger, but said nothing.

'City of- Please,' Chiyo scoffed, rolling her eyes. 'As if they would even let me in there. No,' she said, struggling angrily against Kratos' grip, and he loosened a little. 'I am part of the race of Dark Angels. We are not,' she said, straightening up slightly, 'accepted like most races, merely because of our appearance. We do not look friendly, therefore people _assume _we are evil.'

'And?' Kratos asked.

'And what? You ask the people who chased us up into the mountains, to live of rocks and roots,' Chiyo shot back testily. Kratos raised an eyebrow, but kept quiet.

'And what has that got to do with me?' Link asked coolly, now trusted enough by Sheik to be let go.

'Because,' Chiyo said, glaring at the blond girl, '_you _made people realize there are good and bad in this world. And apparently, they judged us as bad.'

Link raised an eyebrow, but Kratos was the one to speak. 'So, technically, you were trying to kill a symbol?'

'_Yes,' _Chiyo said grumpily, knowing that the man was slightly mocking her.

'Link!' a light voice cried from the castle. They all turned their heads to see Zelda come running, together with a few guards. The Queen was wearing a simple dress of dark blue and her hair was down, blowing freely in the wind. Apparently she, as well as Link and Sheik, had come directly from her bed. 'Link, I heard what had happened, thank Goddesses you are alright-'

She stopped in mid-sentence as her eyes fell upon Chiyo. '…oh,' was all the Queen managed to say.

'She tried to kill her again, but we caught her this time,' Kratos grunted, turning the angel to face the Queen.

The angle snorted as she looked at Zelda. 'Please. I hope you don't expect be to bow for this simple Queen-'

'Kratos, get her out of my sight before I do something I'll regret,' Link suddenly barked, interrupting the angel, her eyes dark with anger. It was one thing insulting Link, but when it came to her friends…

One of the guards took Chiyo and they led her away, under much struggles from the angel's part.

'Well,' Zelda said, a hand over her heart, 'isn't that a relief?'

'Hardly,' Link scoffed, still insulted by the angel's remarks. Not only did Kratos' lips widen into an amused grin, but even Sheik smiled, but hardly for the same reason. Whenever Link was angry, she was just… adorable.

'I bet she was hired by the enemy, to get rid of the Heroine before the war,' Kratos said, pulling a hand through his hair. Link looked at him, nodding slightly.

'Perhaps,' Sheik started, 'she hired herself. The hatred she bore towards Link seemed to be true.'

'Well, that makes me feel so much better,' Link sighed, also wincing slightly from the pain of her wound. She gingerly touched her ribs, and scowled as she had blood on her fingers. 'Not _again,' _she whined.

'Oh, Link, come with me and I will help you,' Zelda said, but Link held up a hand.

'No worries,' she said, 'I'll fix it. You get back to your room Zelda, it is a cold morning, and you must be freezing.'

Kratos raised a skeptical eyebrow. 'What about you then?' he nodded towards her thin nightgown and bare legs.

'Like I said, I'm _fine,' _Link snapped, looking darkly at the man. As Kratos looked up, he set eyes upon, - for the first time- an irritated Sheik. He had not liked that remark, Kratos realized, as the red eyes flashed- only for a moment- in jealousy.

And soon enough, Kratos and Zelda went back to the castle, leaving Link alone on the hill. By Kratos' comment, she had become aware of how the wet grass felt cold under her bare feet, and how the wind felt raw against her legs.

'You are shivering,' Sheik suddenly said from behind her. She turned, realizing she had forgotten he was there.

'It is nothing,' she shrugged.

Sheik sighed at her stubbornness, but took her shoulders and spun her around. 'We should get inside. It is barely morning, and you have already been part of a failed assassination _and _fallen three stories down.'

'Well, when you put it like _that,' _Link surrendered, and they walked towards the entrance to the castle. However, as soon as they started to walk, Link winced in pain, letting a gasp escape her lips.

'That damned _wound!' _she cursed, bringing her hand to her ribs. 'I will _kill _that Chiyo!'

Sheik gave a soft smile, and bent down to examine her ribs. 'The wound is open again. You need to bandage that again,' he said, standing up to his full length again. They both fell silent, looking at each other.

It was finny, Sheik thought. This was the _third _time this morning he had the open chance to kiss Link. They both wanted it, but several things stopped them. Well, not on Sheik's part, really, he thought. Could he forget about those two years and finally give Link his love? For love her he did. But there was something she was not ready to let go off, he sensed.

And he was right. Link wanted the man in front of her so bad, her heart ached. But she felt like her actions – by leaving- she had spoiled her chance. And what's more, she _could _not let herself fall for his man. For how long would they live happy, until some danger came and hurt them? If something hurt Sheik, Link would not bear it. She had to _stay away. _

So backing a few steps, she then walked away, limping as fast as she could, leaving the Sheikah confused with his own feelings.

---

Gimel trotted up to the castle, Tzadek giving a snort as she suddenly pranced when Gimel pulled her reins, bringing her to a halt. The recent days, Gimel had wondered when the horses – the horses belonging to the army, who were grazing on a great field quite far away from the castle and the Lon Lon Ranch – should be ready for battle. Frankly, it was going to take quite a long time to herd the horses all the way to the Ranch, where they could be readied for the soldiers. So, Gimel had decided to ride to the castle, and ask the General himself.

As he reached the castle however, the strangest sight met him. Coming to a halt on the grassy hill, he watched as a group of soldiers were urging forth an aggressive angel. That's right, an angel. At least, that is what Gimel thought in the moment. Perhaps others might have judged her as a demon, with her fiery red hair, and great black wings, but to Gimel, she was an angel. To him, she was a creature of beauty. His bright green eyes met her scowling brown ones. Only for a moment, and the angel suddenly stopped struggling, looking at the boy on the horse, in what could be described as wonder. Then the moment passed, as one of the guards grunted: 'Come on!' and pulled her away.

Gimel slid of Tzadek, who trotted a few steps to her side, her attention turned to the guards, but her rider had spotted someone else walking towards them. Kratos had followed the guards, and now he saw Gimel had arrived.

'What are you doing here?' the dark-haired man asked, his trademark grin on his lips, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

'Who was that?' Gimel asked, looking after the party.

'That…' Kratos said, also turning his dark eyes after the fiery girl, '...would be Chiyo.'

'Chiyo…' Gimel said thoughtfully, showing no signs of tearing his gaze away from the girl. '…She's cute,' he added, apparently letting his mouth slip.

Kratos snorted, half laughter, half insulted. 'Funny you should think that. She tried to kill Link. Twice, no less.'

This caused Gimel's eyes to shoot back at the man immediately.

'_She's _the assassin!?' he blurted incredulously. Kratos nodded. 'How did you catch her?' the farmer asked.

'Well…' Kratos started, 'kind of a long story.'

'I have time,' Gimel replied, his eyes taking one last glance at the disappearing Chiyo. 'I have to find the General, and speak to him.'

'Really,' Kratos said, no interest at all in his voice, as soon as he heard the word _General. _'Well,' he then started, as they both turned to walk to the castle, leaving Tzadek to graze at the field until a stable boy came and took care of her. 'So I was guarding Link's room this night…'

And Kratos told him the story, of how he had caught the assassin, as they came to one of the castle's gardens, just outside the back entrance to the building, where they suddenly met Link.

'So she tried to escape, - and that is one fast angel, let me tell you - but I caught her, just as she jumped at the window…' his voice trailed of, as he set eyes upon Link.

She came limping down the stairs from the doors, panting slightly and sweat was showing on her forehead. Suddenly her legs surrendered, and she sunk to the ground, sitting upon the stairs. Kratos noticed she was clutching her side.

'Link!' Gimel gasped, 'are you alright?'

'I'm _fine,' _she said, but this time she did not convince any of them.

'It's that wound,' Kratos said, kneeling down, his eyes resting upon her ribs.

'Gee, you think?' Link snapped, but the man merely grinned at her grumpy behavior. As he put pressure on her ribs, she winced, and blood slowly showed through the thing fabric of her shirt. Link gave a tired sigh, to then send a slight smile at Gimel. 'See what you get?' she said, but Gimel merely shook his head, sighing fondly at her optimism. Suddenly, though, he spotted Chase walking through another garden, and he looked down at Kratos, just as Link cried '_ouch!' _and jerked away from the man.

'Go,' Kratos said to Gimel, ignoring the girl in front of him, as he also had noticed Chase coming, 'she will be fine,' he added to Gimel's worried glance. 'I'll fix her.' Then, with a last glance at Link, Gimel ran off after Chase. 'General! Wait!'

A grin tugged at one of the corners of Kratos' mouth as he watched Gimel, and then went back to Link.

'I've said it before, and I'm saying it again, I will _kill _that goddamn angel,' Link muttered as Kratos' finger felt her ribs, seeing if anything was broken after her recent fight. He lit up in a grin at Link's words.

'Seems like you got her pretty good, too. Did you see her limp?'

'She won't be walking at all when I'm done with her,' she replied, now grinning slightly.

After running away from Sheik, she had gotten back to her room. There she had dresses in her black leggings, but as she buttoned her usual green shirt she noticed she was bleeding quite badly. So she had searched for Zelda for help, until she felt like she was about to faint, and went outside, where she met Kratos and Gimel.

She was brutally brought back from her thoughts however, as Kratos suddenly started pulling her shirt up.

'_What _do you think you're doing?' she asked horrified, unable to keep the shriek out from her voice, quickly pulling her shirt back down. Kratos gave a slight laughter, but for once, in a very friendly way.

'Link,' he said, rising his gaze to meet her eyes, 'the wound is open yet again. I need to fix it right now, or you'll bleed to death.

Link heaved an irritated sigh. 'Alright then,' she said, getting to her feet. Or _trying _to would be a more fitting way. She took support with her arm, but as soon as her weight shifted she yelped in pain, and sunk to the stone again.

'Alright, that does it,' Kratos said, and suddenly bent down, scooping the girl up in his arms.

'Oh, this is so _humiliating,' _Link cringed, sighing.

'I know,' Kratos said, lighting up in a devilishly handsome smile, as he carried her through the castle, 'you are going to _kill _that angel.'

Link let out a sigh of laughter, as the man carried her into her room. There he gently put her down on her bed, and once again Kratos reached to pull up her shirt. She inhaled sharply as a warning.

Kratos dark eyes drifted to look at her, one eyebrow raised. 'Hands to myself, promise. Now will you shut up and let me help you?'

Surrendering with a tired sigh, Link leaned back to the bed, letting the man pull up her shirt just above her ribs.

'Though I suppose I should thank you,' Link said, causing the man to look up at her with a slightly puzzled expression. Which looked good on him, Link suddenly caught herself thinking. In fact, _everything _looked good on that man.

'Why?' he asked, when Link did not clarify.

'Well,' she said, as the man moved to rub some oil with healing effects into Link's wound, and she winced slightly in pain, 'someone told me you guarded my room this night.' She observed the man before her. 'So I suppose the lot fell on you.'

'Not really,' Kratos replied,' moving on to clean her wound with a cloth, 'I volunteered.' Then, he added to her skeptical glance, 'I guess I wanted to find this… _girl _as much as you did.'

'…really?' Link said, a slight smile on her lips, but the man appeared not to hear her. Link suddenly felt stupid. He was a nice man, why had she not liked him? Was it because…

Her thoughts trailed off as she was suddenly strangely aware of Kratos' fingers touching her naked skin. It seemed as Kratos noticed this too, and they both locked eyes. Goddess, Link thought, was this why she did not like him? Because she felt _attracted _to him?

But then something else occurred to her. His fingers… they did not have the same effect as Sheik's hands. They had healing touch. And when Link was with him, everything felt so… right. With Kratos it just felt… not exactly wrong, but not right either…

Kratos paused to look at the figure in front him. Goddess, she is beautiful, he thought, just like he had always thought. But at the same time, he saw that her heart belonged to someone else. She just acted like she wasn't aware of it. Or maybe she wasn't aware of it? Maybe he should help her along the way?

Moving on to bandage her, Kratos opened his mouth to speak again. 'So I suppose this 'someone' didn't tell you who guarded your room the other two nights since the assassin's first attack?'

'…No,' Link said wondrous, propping herself up on her arms. Kratos had now finished, and was now pulling down her shirt, not meeting her gaze.

'Well,' he said, looking up, 'it wasn't Gimel or Zelda, at least.'

'Are you saying… Sheik?' Link started, now sitting up. The man nodded, his bangs falling into his eyes, but the effect was not quite as charming as it was on Sheik. 'He was up two nights in a row, worried sick as well. I don't think anyone wanted to catch the assassin more than he did.'

'So why…?' Link started, but Kratos finished for her.

'The only reason I came to guard you was because frankly, Zelda forbade Sheik to. I'm surprised you didn't see how tired he was. He hadn't slept in three days.'

Link stood up, ignoring the pain, and walking to the window. '…Oh,' was all she said.

For now she realized, that even though she desperately tried not to, she was falling for Sheik. Hard. Why couldn't she stay away? But the worst part was, though she found reasons not to love him, she knew he… perhaps, loved her too.

That was the worst part. For as Link stood there in the window, she realized how she was going to keep herself from loving Sheik. And that was by telling him the reason she had left. For if she told him…

If she told him, he would not love her anymore.

* * *

**Now gimme those looong sweet reviews!! **


	12. Crumbling Beliefs

**Hi guys! Sorry it's been a while since my last update, but since school started it's been sort of... chaos around here. ANYhow, I made this chappie longer so I'll won't be mad at me:D**

******The Heroine: War of Shadow**

_Crumbling Beliefs_

'Were you hired by the enemy to kill the Heroine?'

'…that would depend on who the so called _enemy_ is.'

Chase's eyes narrowed as he leaned closer to Chiyo. 'The Evil King's army.'

'Oh, well, then,' Chiyo replied airily, '…yes.'

It was late afternoon, the same day as Chiyo's arrest and she was being interrogated for the first time by Chase. They were not the only people there, however. Two guards where there to keep an eye on Chiyo, and Zelda was there as well. She was looking beautiful as ever, wearing a dress in a dark color of brown, kind of fitting the murky room they were standing in. It was situated in the basement of the castle where they kept prisoners - whenever they have them.

'Are you aware of the punishment for attempt of murder?' Chase started, but was suddenly interrupted by Zelda.

'May I… propose something, General?' she asked softly, taking a step forward into the light.

Both of them turned to look at her, Chase with his surprised expression, and Chiyo's scowling one.

'You seem like someone who would value her freedom,' Zelda said, sitting down opposite Chiyo to be in the same eyelevel. 'Well,' she added, 'who would want to spend the rest of her life in a cell?'

Chiyo's eyes widened at the Queen's words, as if she realized something.

Chase nodded slightly to himself, pleased with Zelda's technique. She had seen what the General had not: Chiyo was afraid. The angel had not considered the consequences of her actions, and had not considered spending the rest of her life in a cell as an option. Only, what was Zelda driving at?

I have the power to give you freedom, Chiyo,' Zelda said, leaning closer to her, smiling softly – kind as she was. 'But in return I want you to help us.'

Chase raised an eyebrow. _Help_?

This was exactly what Chiyo said, only more suspicious. 'Help?'

The Queen nodded. '…We set you free, and you will go back and report to the army, but then… you will return to us.'

'…and tell you what they say,' Chiyo concluded, understanding the Queen quickly. 'A double-agent.'

Zelda nodded.

Chase looked at the angel, seeing her doubt. Freedom was what she craved for the most now, but she did not really dare going against the army. And he suspected she had some loathing for the Heroine she was not ready to let go of. She looked up at Zelda. 'For my freedom?'

'For your freedom,' Zelda confirmed.

A silence followed, whereas Chase wondered if Chiyo was ever to speak, when she finally opened her mouth.

'Alright… I'll do it.'

---

The rising moon sent a reflection upon the water's surface, the otherwise blue liquid lighting up in a shade of silver. The water clucked steadily as the mild wind passed over its surface. It was silent, as all the birds were sleeping. The only thing heard was the wind, and the clucking of the sea.

Link stood on the white sand, watching the water's peaceful rhythm, trying to find peace herself. She shot a glance to her left, where Epone stood under a lone tree, by a small patch of grass. The stallion raised his head hopefully as he saw she was looking at him. He wanted to go home, and could not for his life understand why his friend had driven him all this way to the west, to the border of Hyrule, where the great sea, Echtelion, lay.

Link was thinking of a particular painful memory. Perhaps the most painful memory she had. That night, two years, ago, when Ganondorf had fallen, she had lost Sheik. Sort of. Hanging her head, she let the memory fill her yet again.

'_This is impossible…' he started. 'All this time… _you_ were Link. _You_ were the Hero.' Then a grin suddenly spread across Ganondorf's face. 'Yes. It all makes sense now. This is why I couldn't get anything out of him.' _

_A wave of chill suddenly rushed through Link's body. Sheik! _

'_What have you done to him?' she asked fiercely. Ganondorf grinned. Then he snatched his fingers and suddenly Sheik appeared beside him, bound with his own chain. _

'_Sheik!' Link exclaimed and made a move to run forth but realized that it would be wiser not to. He struggled to get lose. _

'_Let him go!' she turned to Ganondorf. _

'…_As you wish,' he grinned and snatched his fingers, and the chain fell to the ground. Sheik's legs gave with and he slumped to the ground, clearly wounded. _

'_If,' Ganondorf looked up to Link, 'you can catch him.' Suddenly he loaded up a huge energy bolt in his hand and threw it away at Sheik. The Sheikah gasped as it hit him, throwing him over the platform and over the edge. _

_Ganondorf grinned. 'Oops.' _

'_Noo!' Suddenly everything went very slowly, and Link threw herself over the platform, managing to grab hold of Sheik's hand. He looked up at her. _

'_Link!' he said, surprised that she had caught him. _

'_What?' she panted, 'You think I'd just stand and watch you die? Not a chance.' _

_Suddenly they heard heavy steps behind Link. Ganondorf stepped up and placed his foot on her back. _

'_Link,' Sheik looked gravely at her, 'let go.' _

_She looked shocked at him. _

'_What?' _

_Then she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her back. Ganondorf took his giant sword and ripped her slowly on her back. She gasped in pain. _

'_Yes, Link, why don't you let go?' he grinned. _

'_No!' she said, biting her lip in pain, and held Sheik's arm firm. _

'_Link, let go. You have to beat him.' He gave a small smile, despite the sacrifice he was doing. Tears prickled down Link's face, due to the pain and what Sheik was saying. _

'_No! I won't let the same thing happen to you!' Then she screamed out in pain as Ganondorf ripped her again, slowly, torturing her. _

'_Don't think of me, Link. Do it for Hyrule. For your brother.' _

_Link looked at Sheik and slowly realized what she had to do. The tears ran down her face as the grip around Sheik's arm slipped, more and more, until she was only holding on to his fingers. Then with a last look on each other, the grip failed, and Sheik fell towards the ground. _

'So this is where you're doing this,' a voice said behind her. And even though it was that soft voice Link knew so well, he managed to startle her quite badly. Giving a jerk, she spun around so quickly she lost her footing, and she landed hard on her bottom.

A reluctant smile spread across Sheik's face, as he took a step forward, extending a hand to help Link up. She took it, and scrambled to her feet, her nose inches from Sheik's chest.

'And what… is _this?' _she asked, referring to his previous statement, trying to stifle the blush spreading on her cheeks due to her clumsiness.

'Avoiding me,' he replied, the smile still tugging slightly on his lips as he saw her reaction. She cringed, cursing herself. _When_ was she going to learn that that Sheikah _always _saw through her?

'I…wasn't…,' she started, but fell silent as she realized it was hopeless.

Sheik gave a humble smile, and then his eyes drifted to her ribs. 'How is your wound?' he asked, knitting his eyebrows together in concern. Then he looked up, a motion which caused his hair to fall into his eyes. 'I thought I told you not to ride with that.'

'Actually,' Link said, shooting a glance to Epone who now was joined by Sheik's grey mare, 'finally healed.' She beamed. 'I think Zelda grew tired of me always complaining about it, she managed to heal it fully with her magic.'

'A relief,' Sheik said, smiling softly.

Link realized his fingertips were grazing her hand, and she looked down. What was it with her, never being able to function normally whenever he was touching her? He had the talent of making her skin feel like it was on fire. She looked away, but made the mistake to look into his eyes. For as she looked into those eyes, burning like fire, she was lost. There was nothing she could do.

'Link,' he said, using his softest voice, the one Link always fell for. 'I do not know for what reason you left, or why you returned. But I know you have not been ready to tell me. But I find now that I do not care. For I have something to tell you,' he said.

Link looked up, realizing how close they were. But even if she wanted to, she could not walk away.

'What?' she whispered.

'…I love you,' he said, cupping her chin with his smooth hand. Link's eyes widened. This was _not_ what she had planned.

'But- ' she started, not knowing what to say. 'I-'

But Sheik reached up to her head, streaking her hair out of her face, revealing her dark blue eyes. 'You don't have to say anything,' he whispered. 'Your eyes say more than you think.'

'My eyes?' Link breathed. 'And…what do they say?'

But Sheik did not reply, as he leaned down his head, placing his lips on Link's. And something seemed to explode inside Link. Her feeling was in an uproar by that light kiss. All her emotions, emotions she was both aware of –and _un_awareof- flared up inside her. Like a battle of two opposing forces. One side had longed for two _years _for his kiss. Her hands reached up to grasp his blond hair by his neck as she kissed him again. And the image of Sheik's tattoo suddenly flared up in her mind. _That tattoo… I _have _to see it again… _

But the other opposing force, the one telling her not to this, suddenly got the overhand. She stopped herself, pulling back. She could not afford this kiss. She had to tell him. Now.

She tore her lips away from his, looking down, trying to gather herself again.

'…Link?' Sheik's soft voice reached her ears, and made a tear run down her eye. As she looked up, she could see Sheik frown.

'Sheik,' she said, her voice trembling slightly, as the tear made its way down her cheek. 'I… have something to tell you.'

She swallowed, as Sheik was only silent. She was thankful as well, knowing that hearing his voice would only make her cry harder.

'Do you remember what I told you two years ago? …Why I had to leave?' she asked, and Sheik nodded.

'You said… because you died here, you could not live on here,' he slowly said, and Link nodded.

'But that's not… entirely true,' Link confessed, looking away.

'…When my brother died, I had never felt such pain,' Link said, looking up in his eyes again, confessing her true feelings. 'And I swore I would not love anyone again.' She fell silent. 'But then I met you. And I knew I shouldn't have, but I fell for you. But like I said, I shouldn't have.'

She suddenly broke away from their embrace, turning to look at the ocean. 'Do you remember that night Ganondorf fell?' she asked.

Sheik stepped up behind her. 'How could I forget?'

'_Link,' Sheik looked gravely at her, 'let go.' _

'Well,' she said, her voice shaking, 'do you remember when Ganondorf almost threw you from the tower… and I caught you?'

His voice was a little distant as his reply came. '…yes.'

'_Yes, Link, why don't you let go?' Ganondorf grinned. _

'When I… lost you there,' Link said, turning to him again. 'I thought losing my brother was the most painful thing I've ever experienced… but I was wrong.'

'_Link, let go. You have to beat him.' He gave a small smile, despite the sacrifice he was doing._

'Losing you was the worse thing that could happen to me. It _is _the worst thing that can happen to me,' Link said, tears now running down her face.

'_Don't think of me, Link. Do it for Hyrule. For your brother.' _

'I couldn't handle that. I _wanted_ to die when I had killed Ganondorf. Without you, my life was miserable. I had nothing to lose. I still can't handle that,' she said.

Sheik suddenly took a step back, realizing what she was saying.

'Don't you see, Sheik?' Link said, not even bothering to wipe her tears away. 'I left… because I had to get over you. I _can't _love you, Sheik. …I can't handle that pain.'

'You… don't think perhaps, that is what love _is?' _Sheik said, trying to get Link back. Desperately. Why was she saying this? He _loved _her.

But to his grief, she shook her head, with great effort. 'Sheik…' she said, 'it… it wasn't meant to be.'

Sheik took another step back. '…then, I was right. You _did _leave because of me. _I _was the one who brought you all that pain.'

Link could not move or say anything. This was what she _had _to do. She convinced herself it was the right thing. Sheik was much better of without her. But was it really supposed to hurt this much… doing the right thing?

For the pain she saw in Sheik's eyes, like seeing his whole heart rip apart before her very gaze ached her more than anything she had ever felt. Even more when she had thought he was dead. His eyes searched her face, trying to locate some sign, _any _sign that she was not being serious. But as she did not move or say anything, he backed away, until he turned away, walking away. His grey mare looked up, and trotted to his side as he called for her. Then he mounted her, and urged her into gallop, leaving Link all alone on the beach.

Not even the water could be heard anymore, only the sound of the raw winds of the sea far away. Then Link's knees suddenly gave with, and she slumped to the sand, sobbing.

---

It was in the middle of the night, and Chiyo walked out to the castle's grounds where she could see Hyrule Field. The silent wind of the night, coming in strong from the ocean haunted the lush grass, sending it wildly about. The General had just released her, so that she could fly back to the army, and find out about their plans. She did not really care of the war, anyway. She cared for her people, which the Queen now apparently had promised could come and live in Hyrule, when all this was over. She scoffed. Perhaps that would happen. Or not.

It was then, just as she prepared to take off, she noticed a figure slowly walking up the hill to the castle, coming from the west.

As Link slowly reached the hill before the castle, she stopped as she as met by the sight of the assassin, Chiyo. She had no idea why she was free (since she had not heard of the deal between her and the Queen), or what she was doing. She was too sad to care about anything.

Chiyo stiffened as she saw Link. 'What are you doing here?' she spat, suddenly reaching for her dagger. She wouldn't mind leaving after killing the Heroine, after all. No one was around. This was the perfect opportunity.

'Go ahead,' Link said quietly. 'Kill me.'

Chiyo was slightly thrown off by her comment, and lowered her knife. She furrowed her brow in confusion, and perhaps in some apprehension. 'What?... Why?'

'Because,' Link said, stopping a few meters away from the angel, her gaze boring in like daggers into Chiyo's, 'I don't want to live anymore. I don't _want_ to be me. It's too damn _hard!' _Link thought she was dried out of tears, but apparently not, as they started coming again.

Chiyo bit her lip cautiously as she eyed Link warily. What was this? The Heroine had troubles as well?

'I… told someone today I could not love him because I am the _bloody _Heroine. I can't have any _friends, _or anything!' Link started to sob. 'Because everyone around me will only _die!' _

She sunk to her knees, grabbing a handful of grass and threw it away, and then slumped down, crying.

Chiyo had taken a step back as she witnessed the Heroine's breakdown. She had never seen someone in so much pain. Perhaps… Chiyo was only seeing things from her own perspective?

She slowly walked forth to the crying Link, kneeling beside her. She hesitated slightly, but put a hand on her back.

'Perhaps…. Link,' she said, forming her name with her lips for the first time, 'we… are beginning understand one another now.'

Link did not look up, and Chiyo was not even sure she had heard her. Then she stood up. 'I have to leave,' she said, 'But I will be back.'

And then she jumped down the hill, flapping her wings, and then soared off, flying towards the forest, towards the enemy's encampment.

----

'Whoa, there,' Gimel said, urging Tzadek forth to stop a small brown mare from breaking through the horde. She gave a loud whinny, but Tzadek snorted determined, stopping the horse by giving a small rear before her. Gimel gave an approving smile to his small horse, petting her on her shoulder.

The rancher had been working almost the whole night, herding the Hylian army's horses to the castle, where the soldiers would be waiting to take care of them.

To his aid, Gimel had several soldiers with him, the ones who were more skilled when it came to horses. Turning away from the horde, he spurred Tzadek up a hill, where he could easily oversee the herd. He came to a halt, a sigh escape his lips, letting the weariness he had so desperately fought the entire night finally wash over him. It had been hard work, since the herd consisted over about eight thousand horses. But now, -he realized with relief as he looked up- they had reached the castle. And turning his bright green eyes to the east, he saw that the sun was rising. Urging Tzadek forth in gallop, he reached the herd, shouting to the soldiers to move the herd to the backside of the castle.

As all the horses had made it into the large paddock made temporarily made for their stay, Gimel trotted up to General Chase, who had been overlooking the arrival of the horses from the castle's doors.

'Well done, Gimel,' he said approvingly, giving a nod. 'If you were not such a dedicated man to these animals, I would offer you service for the army.'

Gimel's eyes widened at the General's comment, too flattered to even think of a reply. The General walked past him, his grey eyes alit with something Gimel could only describe as eagerness. Perhaps the General was eager to fight, to prove his valor towards Hyrule.

As the rancher dismounted Tzadek, he could not help to overhear a conversation between Chase and another soldier. He appeared to command a company of riders, but Gimel did not know which.

'General,' the soldier said, walking forth.

'Captain,' Chase nodded, a smile on his lips, 'preparations are going fine, I presume?'

The captain nodded. 'I've heard news of that the Heroine is to lead the cavalry?' he asked, clearly enthusiastic about it.

'Yes,' Chase confirmed, giving a nod, watching as a black horse kicked at another horse in frustration. 'She will report to you as soon as the enemy's armies approach.'

'Understood,' the captain replied. 'So I understand we are to attack the army from the west, no?'

Chase cleared his throat, shooting a glance at the struggling horse again. 'There has been a slight change in strategy. You are to move around, attacking the army from behind in the woods as soon as they march towards Hyrule. You will have to be ready in time for this.'

The Captain nodded, and then excused himself. Chase looked after him, and then walked away.

Gimel caught himself eavesdropping on the General's conversation. Something inside him thought it was strange, this new plan. Hadn't Link told him the army's camp was just beyond the woods? Also, they had apparently been huge in numbers. Would the cavalry be enough to defeat them?

But then, Gimel was no soldier, and knew nothing of wars. He decided not to think about it, as he led Tzadek away. Though it was strange…

---

Link sat in the window of her room, watching the sunrise. She had not been able to sleep all night. Though what she had been doing, she did not know. For all she cared, she could sit in her window, staring numbly out of it for the rest of her life.

_What have I done? _

Those were the words that repeated in Link's head, and had done so for the entire night. Saying those words to Sheik… _I can't love you, _seemed to have cost Link her heart. The ache from her actions had left her numb. It felt like someone had ripped her heart out, and left nothing but an empty, cold void. Her heart, that had endured so much battering and damage during her two year absence had finally given up, shriveling up and freezing, making her incapable of all emotion. What little spark she had had left in her dark eyes had finally faded away.

But as the rising sun's rays struck Link's face, something happened. As its warm rays slowly reached Link's face she seemed to melt. Slowly, little by little, her body warmed, the night's freeze wearing off. Her heart, which for hours had seemed dead, was filled with emotion again. And as the sun slowly crept up the sky, spreading further over Link's face, gradually a specific feeling spread through Link's limbs. The feeling of that she'd made a mistake. The feeling of that she'd made something horrible.

Perhaps it was the Goddesses themselves who infused Link with some sense. For as the sun sharply struck her eyes, the rays seemed to spark life into a fire within Link. A fire she hadn't felt for two years.

She snapped her eyes wide open, her body now filled with remorse of what she had done, but no longer the immense sadness. She had made a mistake. A terrible one.

_Goddesses, what have I done? _

If the Goddesses made it possible for her to love Sheik so much.. .then it was meant to be. And to Link's amazement, she found that she did not care anymore. She did not care about her duties towards Hyrule, or if people would get hurt along the way. None of it mattered, if she did not have Sheik.

'I've been so _stupid!' _she cried out, leaping to her feet. She had to find him. Right now. How she was going to tell him, she did not know. But he _had_ to know_! I love him. I love him!_

So she dashed out her room, down the stairs to the great hall in the castle. Her bare footsteps echoed of the stonewalls, as she took two steps in one.

'Milady?' a surprised voice said. Link stopped, met by the gaze of Chase, standing in the hall. He was wearing his long dark blue cape, and a leather shirt under, with dark pants tucked into black boots. He looked utterly surprised in finding her wildly racing through the castle for no apparent reason.

'Have you seen Sheik?' Link blurted, causing the General to raise his eyebrows even more. It was then Link suddenly realized she was still in her nightwear, which was merely a thin white shirt, which was barely long enough to cover her thighs. Link smiled innocently, but did not explain. She did not have time.

'…no, I haven't,' the General said carefully, eyeing her with some caution.

'Oh, well, I'll keep looking,' Link said hastily and dashed past him, through the great doors, which were opened by two surprising-looked guards.

---

Gimel had reached the front of the castle, on his way to walk back to the ranch. Tzadek was tired after the night's work, so Gimel had decided not to ride her the way back.

Suddenly the mare pricked her ears forward, looking up to the sky. Gimel looked up as well, and frowned as he saw something black against the morning sky. It seemed like a large bird, like an eagle… But it flew strangely. Like its wing was broken. Suddenly it seemed like the creature lost the air under its wings, and it started to fall.

As it came closer, Gimel saw to his surprise that it was no bird at all, it was the girl he had seen the day before, the angel! Then he realized she was falling to her death, and he quickly leapt forth, managing to catch her in his arms. They tumbled round a few times, until they came to a stop in the grass. Gimel immediately rolled of, but saw to his fear that she was unconscious. Even so, she was beautiful… _stop it, Gimel! _He thought, as he saw that she was wounded. An arrow stuck out from her wing, which appeared to be the reason for her strange flight. He quickly moved to examine the wing, to see how the arrow was stuck. Since she was unconscious as well, he gently felt wit his fingers if she had any bones in her wings that were broken. Not that he was an expert on anatomy of wings, but they felt alright.

His attention was turned to her face however, as her eyes suddenly started to flutter, and she murmured something.

'…warn…coming…' she said, but Gimel could not understand.

'You're going to be alright,' he said gently, and now noticed several bruises and cuts on her. Apparently, she had been in some kind of battle. Then springing to his feet, he ran to Tzadek, ripping of a bag he had by her saddle. In case there was an accident while herding the horses, he had brought an emergency kit, and clearly now was the time he needed it.

Ripping out some dressing, a pair of pliers and other necessary items, he ran back to her.

'I…they… '

He looked worriedly at the angel as she again murmured something, but moved to cut of the top of the arrow with the pliers. When done so, he gently managed to pull the arrow out, without any splinters getting stuck in her wing. Then he quickly applied the dressings, cleaning the wound.

Suddenly a pale hand caught his wrist, clutching it. He jerked in surprise, turning his eyes to see that it was the angel who had done it. She had suddenly awoken, and was now looking at him with clear brown eyes.

'Where is Link? I have to warn her,' she said with a voice clearly filled with fear.

Gimel frowned. '…what has happened?'

They were interrupted, however, as the person in question – Link – burst through the doors to the castle, clad in nothing but a white shirt. As she spotted the two she ran forth.

'Have you seen Sheik?' she asked eagerly, but suddenly fell silent as she set eyes upon Chiyo.

Completely forgetting about Sheik and her quest to find him, Link walked forth to Chiyo and Gimel.

'What happened to you?' she asked worriedly, as Gimel helped the angel to her feet.

'Link,' the angel said with some difficulty as she was in pain, but looked up at her with brown eyes. 'I came to warn you.'

She looked to her left, as suddenly Zelda and Chase came through the castle's doors. The Queen's eyes lit up in worry as she saw the angel. She began to walk forth to the angel, but Chiyo quickly stopped them, by saying three words.

'They are coming,' she said to Link.

Zelda's eyes widened, as she took a step back, like Gimel. Even Chase inhaled a little sharper. Link seemed like the only one who did not realize what they were talking about.

'Who?' she asked.

Chiyo looked at her. 'The enemy!'

'….oh,' Link said, taking a step back, eyes widened. Great. This was what she was _least _ready for. The war.

Chiyo suddenly turned, a wind catching her red hair, as she limped forth to Zelda.

'I went to the army, but somehow, they did not want anything to do with me. Apparently,' she added with a somber smile, 'they wanted to kill me.'

'I know,' she then continued with a hint of pain in her voice, 'you promised me my freedom, but I must ask something else of you in our deal.'

'…anything,' Zelda said, clearly blaming herself for Chiyo's wounds.

'I want to fight,' Chiyo said with a dark voice. 'I want to kill those who did this to me.' Zelda nodded, sensing her great need for revenge.

'How long before they reach us?' Link asked, taking a step forth, eyeing Chiyo with intensity. The angel turned to her.

'Tonight.' She looked up at the other beings assembled around her. 'The armies will come tonight.'

----

The gates to the city slowly opened, and three riders emerged, hooves hammering rapidly at the ground. Link urged Epone forward, overtaking the larger horses of Kratos and Chase. Epone snorted, tossing his head slightly to the side as his leaps improved in strength. The three of them had decided to ride off, to inspect the size of the army.

Somehow, Sheik had vanished. They had sent word for him, since he was also part of Zelda's council. But he had not come. And Link did not have a hard time of guessing why.

'Link,' Kratos said, as Zelon galloped up next to Epone. Both of the horses advanced in speed as they reached a hill, galloping up. 'What we will see now, is the army before they have entered the woods. If we trust in Zelda's power, they will not be as many afterwards.'

Link nodded, understanding him. What she had seen in the woods a few weeks ago… Zelda's trap to prevent anyone from entering Hyrule…. She hoped it would work.

If Chiyo's news were correct, they had a day's worth of preparations. As the three of them had left, the city had been filled with soldiers, all of them running to their posts or other destinations. The air was filled with the tensed anticipation before war.

Suddenly Chase advanced his mare, and the large horse overtook both Link and Kratos. Galloping up a sharp hill just before the forest, he came to a halt just upon the summit. Link knew this was a view point, where they could see beyond the woods, and see… the army.

Epone galloped up the last meters to the summit, and as Link held him in to a halt. The air deserted her lungs as she met the sight below her.

Thousand and thousands, more than tens of thousands of soldiers and wicked creatures had gathered into ranks and lines. From up the view point where Link stood, it looked like a sea of black armor and dark banners. The banners of Ganondorf. War chants came like a rumbling as it reached the ears of the three riders, and the ground shook as the army started to pace forth. Link felt her heart sink to her feet.

'…let's hope Hyrule survives this,' Kratos said behind her, sharing her concern.

Suddenly Link slid of Epone, noticing a path to their right. It led down, to another hill. It was riskier, but they would have a better look of the armies from there.

'Come.' She motioned for the two men, who had also dismounted their horses, to follow her. They scurried down the steep and tricky path, and Link's smooth boots frequently slid on the small rocks. Finally they all reached the hill, and they all pressed to the edge, to get a better view.

'It looks worse from here,' Link silently as they stood up again. She leaned to a tree, sighing heavily. It was not going to be easy, winning this war. _If _they would win. But she could not doubt Hyrule.

Suddenly, out the corner of her eyes, something caught her attention. One of the many companies in the enemy's army seemed to strike her as familiar. They walked with the same dark banner, but also one if the color of red, like to represent their own people.

They were men with eastern features, all of them with black hair and tanned skins. They were clad in wide beige pants and dark armor, like everyone else. But what struck Link as familiar was that some of these men, despite their black hair, and some stripes in a peculiar red color…

Realizing something shocking she turned to Kratos.

'…is this… your people?' she demanded. She could not believe it. Kratos _was _one of them. Her suspicions were true. All the questions she had once had about the man once again filled her. _Where did he come from? Why had he suddenly appeared in Hyrule now, only a few weeks before the war? And what was the intention behind that grin of his?_ Link could feel herself starting to fume with rage. She had tried looking past all this, to see him as a friend. But now she was right. He had betrayed them all.

The man looked like he'd been hit, as his smile was pained, until it faded, replying her question. '…yes.'

No sooner had he uttered those words, than Link pushed him up the tree.

'I always wondered where you came from,' she said, teeth gritted together in anger. 'And now it turns out my speculations were right. You _are _one of them. _You _are the traitor.'

The man's eyes widened. 'No, Link, that's not-'

'General!' Link shouted, and Chase stepped forth, eyeing Kratos with contempt. 'I was right,' he said, voice dripping with hatred. 'Everyone but the Queen believed it was you. It seems like her kindness hinders her from her full duty.'

'And I…' Link's voice trailed off, and she sounded hurt. But she could not help it. 'And I started to trust you.'

It was a sinking ship, but Kratos tried nonetheless. 'It's not me! I don't know who the traitor is, but it's not _me!' _

'Get him out of my sight,' Link said darkly, and the General fiercely grabbed onto the man, leading him away, up the hill. They left Link to stand alone, looking darkly out over the army.

---

As they returned to the castle, a little quieter, Link and Chase walked up to the castle. Upon their return a pair of guards had taken care of Kratos. He had still protested. Why would he do that? Link had asked herself. It was no use now. He was finally caught. But she still could not shut out the feeling of hurt. On recent days, she really had started to like Kratos, the way he always helped her out of situations. And it was all for this purpose. To betray them.

Anger steaming through her, she stalked up the castle, Chase beside her.

'He fooled us all,' Chase said beside her. 'You should not blame yourself for not seeing.'

'But you saw it the whole time,' Link argued. 'We should've listened to you.'

Chase gave a modest nod. 'Maybe. But then again, I had my reasons for hating him.'

Link didn't even bother to reply, she was so mad, when they suddenly ran into Zelda by the castle's doors. She appeared to be stressed, most of the fact the whole castle was filled with soldiers preparing for the battle, moving to the city.

When she spotted Link and Chase she seemed to calm herself, however.

'Oh, Link…' she said tiredly, walking up to them, the wind catching her light pink dress. Then she frowned, as she realized someone was missing. 'Kratos, where is he?'

'…Zelda, he is-' Chase started, but Link interrupted him. 'He's on his way to prepare for the battle,' she said instead. She did not want to tell her that he was the traitor. For Link had seen what Chase had not. And that was that somewhere, Zelda cared for Kratos. She really trusted him. Telling her about Kratos would break her heart.

Suddenly, Zelda's hand drifted to her head, like she had a headache, and her expression turned into one of pain. 'Oh…' she started, suddenly paling. Alarmed, she shot her eyes to the forest far away.

'Zelda?' Link asked cautiously, 'what's the matter?'

'They have entered the forest,' Zelda said darkly. 'I can feel it.'

Link followed her gaze, and felt something surge inside of her. It had started.

'Well then,' Zelda said, dropping her gaze to Hyrule field, knowing it would soon be the center of a waging war. Then she turned back to her friends, smiling softly. 'We should follow Kratos example and get ready.'

Link suddenly looked up, her blue eyes alit with something. And it was something Zelda recognized. It was the fire of courage, burning in her eyes. Before her eyes, Link returned to her normal self, the Heroine Zelda knew. The both smiled at each other.

'Let's fight for Hyrule,' Link said, and Zelda nodded.

But just as Link turned around, there was a sudden voice. '…I'm afraid I can't let you do that.'

And then it felt like an explosion in Link's head, coming from her left chin. The world around her instantly turned black and she lost her conscious.

Zelda gave a surprised shriek as Link slumped to the ground, knocked out cold. She landed by Chase's feet, who gingerly felt at his tender knuckles, which he had used to hit Link.

'Chase! What in the world are you _doing?' _Zelda demanded, rushing forth to Link, kneeling by her and touching her forehead.

'I believe I just stopped your friend from going of to battle,' the General replied, a wicked smile on his lips. 'I'm afraid I need her elsewhere.'

And suddenly, someone grabbed on to Zelda from behind, two guards, pulling her back.

'What are you doing?' she cried. 'Unhand me at once!'

'That's… not possible,' Chase said, blowing slightly at his knuckles and then letting it fall to his side. His voice had changed, and was now smooth. It scared her. 'You see,' he said, nodding to the guards, along with two more who suddenly came forth. 'These guards are not part of your army. They work for me.' Chase looked up, to the afternoon sun, squinting his eyes at it. 'And I wouldn't bother calling for help. All the soldiers have moved to the city, on my orders, I believe.'

Zelda sunk to the ground, her powers suddenly leaving her. 'Who…_are _you?' she asked faintly.

Chase stepped over Link, nodding to the other guards. 'Take her; we're going to the Sacred Realm.' Then he turned to Zelda. 'Who am I?' he asked. 'Well,' he gave another wicked smile.

'I… would be the one you and Link so elegantly refer to as… the traitor.'


	13. The Coming of War

**The Heroine: War of Shadow**

_The Coming of War_

'Well, my friends…'

Gimel stopped by the gate, his thin boots letting him feel the grass under his feet. He was back at his ranch, more exactly in the small field inside his grounds where his horses were grazing. The boy owned around thirty horses, as well as a few stallions that did not graze with the bigger herd he saw before him.

He had already released his stallions, and now he was going to release the rest of the horses which grazed on the field. It was the only thing he could do. There was not enough time to herd them all to the great field where the army's horses had roamed. It was too far away, even though it was safe. Gimel wished he had had time to evacuate his horses, but now there was none. The war was too close.

By setting his horses free, at least they had a chance of making their way north, past Hyrule and into freedom. So he turned to the gate, and opened it. Creaking slightly, it swung open.

The horses lazily lifted their heads, still chewing on the grass, looking at their owner with curious glances. None of them moved towards their freedom.

'…Lazy bums,' Gimel muttered with a smile, and started to walk towards the herd. But then there was a high-pitched whinny, and a small red horse suddenly moved towards the gate, in gallop. Angel.

Gimel exhaled in a smile. 'Figures… always eager for freedom…'

As soon as one horse had started moving, the rest of the herd followed. The ground shook as the thunder of hooves made their way from the field towards the gate. They rushed past Gimel in a cloud of dust, and he had to back several steps not to get trampled.

Coughing, he waved the dust away with his hands, as a strange silence settled over the ranch. No snort, no whinnies, no sounds of hooves. Nothing.

Then there was sudden noise behind Gimel. A horse snorting. He spun around, and found to his amazement that it was Angel. The little horse had led the herd out the paddock, but stayed himself. Beside him stood his mother, Tzadek, who, no matter what, would never ever leave Gimel's side.

'Angel,' Gimel said affectionately. To his surprise, the horse suddenly pranced forth, buffing lovingly at his chest. The boy extended his hand, scratching the horse behind his ears. He gave a kind neigh, buffing on his hand.

'Angel,' Gimel said somberly, 'as much as it pains me to say this, you have to go. I can't protect you in here. You're better off with freedom. It's what you've always wanted. I cannot deny you that.'

The little horse appeared not to understand, as he stood firm, ears pricking forth and back. Gimel moved to open the gate further, but the horse merely sniffed on the boy interested.

'Dammit Angel, just… go,' the boy said tiredly. It was hard enough as it was.

Tzadek buffed on her son's flank, causing the little horse to trot to his side, standing in the middle of the paddock's opening. He was looking at his mother, confused. They wanted him to leave?

'Come on, Angel, go,' Gimel said, clicking his tongue so that the horse would move. He didn't.

It was than Gimel moved forth, and suddenly smacked him hard on his flank. The horse gave a shriek, but set off in gallop. He raced through the grounds, until he left the ranch. Gimel looked after him, saddened. Would he ever see that horse again?

Then he felt Tzadek buff on him. He turned, smiling fondly. 'I guess you wouldn't leave even if you could. But I couldn't let you go either. I need your help, Tzadek,' he said, and the mare's ears pricked forward, eyeing her friend with interest. Gimel continued, 'Will you help me fight in this war?' he asked, turning his gaze to look out over his grounds. 'Will you help me defend our country… and our ranch?'

The horse snorted determined, causing Gimel to lit up in a soft laugh, as he gave the horse a hug around her neck.

'…I saw Angel running off yet again,' a soft voice said behind him and the rancher turned. It was Sheik, sitting upon Uraeas. '…but I'm guessing you set him free?'

Gimel heaved a sigh. 'There was no time to evacuate the horses. This… seems like the best solution,' he said, his thoughts far away. Mostly on Angel.

'…and so it is,' Sheik said, smiling.

Gimel eyed his friend, since he sensed something was different about him.

'What's wrong?' he asked, frowning.

The Sheikah looked up. He was surprised he had shown his feelings, he had always been an expert at hiding them when he wanted to. But then, Link was a person that could open him up like no other. But now… never again. She did not love him back.

'Sheik?'

The Sheikah refocused his gaze on his friend.

'Have you seen Zelda?' he asked instead, misleading the boy.

'Zelda?' the boy echoed. He had hardly met the Queen, only a few times, as he was not as acquaint with her as his other friends. Still, what he could make out of it, she was a very nice person. But still, she hardly knew her, let alone knew where she was.

'No, I haven't,' Gimel said, very confused by now, 'Sheik, what's going on?'

'I can't find her, or Kratos, or the General,' the Sheikah said, suddenly worried. True, what _was _going on? The soldiers were confused, they could not find the General, and it was late afternoon. It was not long now before the war would come. And all of them were missing.

'What about Link?' Gimel asked, as he too now was worried. 'Have you seen Link?'

Sheik shook his head. 'Something's not right.'

'What do you mean?' Gimel asked, as he began saddling Tzadek.

'I think something's happened to them,' the Sheikah replied, suddenly afraid. What if it was the traitor? Had he made his move? But what could he have done?

He looked back at Gimel. 'We have to organize our armies, since it seems like Zelda and her council are missing.' He shortened the reins to Uraeas. 'The General was to lead the infantry of the woods, but I will do it now.' He turned the nervous horse to face Gimel, as she kept prancing around, sensing her rider's worry. 'Gimel, I want you to go to the cavalries' captain and instruct him to begin the attack from the west. I don't think Link will be around to lead them in time.'

Suddenly Gimel realized something, stopping in the middle of fastening Tzadek's bridle. 'The west? But-' he looked up, confused. 'Have you not heard the General's new orders? They are to ride earlier, attacking the army from behind in the woods as they begin their attack.'

A look of surprise crossed the Sheikah's face. 'What? Why would they do that? It is crucial that we do not attack them until after they have passed the woods. Otherwise easily overtake us in numbers, but-'

He fell silent as he realized something that worried him deeply. _Oh no. _

'Sheik? What is it?' Gimel asked, as he had finished preparing Tzadek, and was now mounting her, settling in the saddle.

'I think,' Sheik said with a grave expression, 'the traitor just revealed himself. General Chase is not who he poses to be, I'm afraid.'

Gimel's eyes widened. 'What are we going to do?'

'So far, we are the only ones who know about it, but it's too late to change anything now,' Sheik said sadly. 'I will go to the infantry. And I need you and Tzadek to ride as fast as you can and stop the cavalry before they go to their deaths.'

'But, Sheik,' Gimel started, stopping the Sheikah who had prepared to ride away. 'The cavalry would have reached the other side of the woods by now. It will take me till dawn until I can get them back here! If anyone is walking to their death it is _you, _Sheik. You are walking into certain death without the aid of the cavalry.'

Sheik gave a small smile, knowing well of his sacrifice. 'Then we will have to try to uphold the defenses of the city best we can.'

And then he trotted away, leaving Gimel wondering if he would ever see his friend again.

'No,' he said determined. 'I _will _see him again.' He shot his eyes up to the sky, seeing that it was late. Very late. 'No time to lose, Tzadek,' he said. '_Yah!' _

Spurring her forth, she leapt into gallop, and together they raced through the gates to the ranch, and past Hyrule field.

---

Sheik soon reached the city, where he saw to his relief that the soldiers were organized, already at their posts by the city wall, trebuchets loaded and the citizens evacuated safely into the mountains far north of the castle. The Sheikah met up with one of the Captains, who greeted him with a bow.

'My Lord,' he said. 'I've been told you are to help us lead the defenses of the city?'

Sheik came to a halt, calming the nervous Uraeas below him. '…no. I'm afraid _you _will have to do that, Captain,' he said.

The soldier's eyes widened, but nodded, slightly paler than before.

'Is the infantry ready?' Sheik asked instead.

The Captain nodded. 'They are southwest of the forest, awaiting the General,' he said.

'Well,' Sheik said, starting to pace away, 'the General's not coming.'

And then he trotted away.

---

The world seemed dreadfully cold around her as Link began to come around again. As her eyes fluttered open, she found herself staring into a pair of cold pale grey eyes. As her senses cleared, she realized she was in the Sacred Realm, outside the Seal of the Six Sages, no less. And before her stood Chase.

At first, she could not for her life understand what he was doing.

'…Chase? What are you doing here? What am _I _doing here?' she asked, her eyes darting around the chamber.

The General chuckled, a laugh which echoed coldly through the chamber.

'Link…' a soft voice called to her from elsewhere on the platform. Link searched for the sound until she located Zelda, held by two guards by her arms. It was then Link realized she was held by two guards as well.

'Zelda, what's going on?' Link asked cautiously, thought she already suspected what the answer might be. And she was right as well.

'Link, it's him. Chase is the traitor,' the Queen said faintly, and Link's eyes narrowed into slits.

'So it was _you,' _Link said acidly, feeling extremely angry and slightly embarrassed at the same time.

'Yes, it was me,' Chase said, a smile tugging on his lips. Link could hear and see the change in Chase. His voice was dripping with sarcasm and madness, and he looked mad as well. 'What _luck _that you should suspect Kratos all along,' he said, still chuckling slightly.

'You bastard,' Link muttered, but it had no effect whatsoever, except that Link received a hard blow in her stomach from one of the so called 'guards'.

Chase lit up in a smile, but remained silent.

Link coughed. 'So what's the plan anyway? Kill us both when you release Ganondorf? For that is why we're here, right?'

'Almost right,' Chase said with an amused voice. Clearly, he enjoyed this. 'I will use our little Sage _Zelda _here to open the door, to release Ganondorf's spirit. And once we are in the Sacred realm, he will claim the Triforce, the _sacred triangle, _and in case it splits up into three pieces like last time, we have the carriers of the other pieces right _here.' _He eyed her, his eyes lit up in an insane sparkle._ 'Then _he will kill you.'

'Well,' Link said, voice dripping with sarcasm, 'someone's done their homework.'

Chase did clearly not enjoy her comment, and proved so by letting one of the guards hit her again in the stomach. This time she lost her breath, and would have fallen to the cold stone floor if the guards had not held her up. The 'General' stalked up to her, his cold eyes locking on to her. 'I will enjoy your death most of all,' he hissed, and then added in a mocking voice, '_Heroine.' _

Then he turned to Zelda. 'You, _Sage,' _he barked, 'open this door. Now.'

But Zelda had a large amount of rage in herself as well, and looked back at the man with cold eyes. 'Make me,' she stated coldly.

Chase gave a grin. 'Figured you would say that.'

Then he turned to the guards holding Link, giving a nod, and they suddenly started beating the Heroine up.

Zelda's eyes widened, but she did not say anything.

'Zelda… don't! …don't… open… the door!' Link said between blows, but Zelda knew Chase had her there. They could easily kill Link, since she was after all a small teenager. And a girl as well.

Suddenly Link received a blow to her head, and she was momentarily knocked out. But they did not stop beating her for that.

'Fine then,' Chase said calmly, watching Link with an indifferent expression. 'Don't open the door. We'll kill her.'

Torn between her feelings, Zelda began to panic. Link started to bleed from her head. A cut was just above her eye. A bruise started to show on her-

'Alright,' Zelda said faintly, and the guards immediately stopped. Chase gave a satisfied smile. 'Well done, Queen. I knew you had it in you,' he said mockingly.

Zelda turned her eyes to the door, and merely by her will, the colorful magic pillar that had seemed to cover the great stone doors weakened.

'Yes,' Chase sneered to himself as he watched it disappear, and the heavy doors slowly, slowly started to open. A thick black void soon became visible through the narrow opening.

'Zelda!' a voice said behind them. Both Zelda and Chase spun around to see Link awake again. She tried standing up, but one of the guards pushed her down. 'Do _not _open the door,' she said faintly.

To Chase's frustration the door stopped. Only a small opening, large enough to fit a child had opened.

He heaved a sigh, rolling his eyes.

'There will be not more of this,' Chase said through gritted teeth, suddenly striding forth to Link. He grabbed her by her upper arm and dragged her over the floor, and too weak to struggle against, she let him.

He pulled her up the stairs and without one word, threw Link inside the chamber beyond the Seal of the Six Sages. Zelda inhaled sharply, taking a step back. 'What have you _done?' _she demanded in a shocked voice.

'Now, Queen, let's see you close that door,' Chase taunted.

Zelda looked at the door, shocked, her mouth open. She had to save Link, get her out of there, before Ganondorf-

Suddenly she closed her mouth, determined. _No. _She turned her eyes to the General, finally making a choice. She locked eyes with him, and Chase frowned at her, until he noticed the door closing again.

'_No_!' he roared, enraged.

'Whatever is in there, I am confident Link will kill it,' Zelda stated, her voice ending up sounding much stronger than she felt.

Zelda watched him with a grin on her lips, until Chase turned and hit her over the cheek, only not as hard as he had hit Link. She gave a surprised shriek, but did not stumble.

'Make sure she does not move!' he commanded to his guards, and then moved to leave the Sacred Realm. With one last look filled with contempt towards Zelda, a blue light surrounded him, and he disappeared.

---

There was the sound of metal shuffling slightly, swords clinking softly, and the occasional whispers between the soldiers. Otherwise it was all silent. Eerie silence.

The forest, usually inhabited by all different kinds of birds and creatures seemed to have been emptied. No tweets from the birds, no nothing. Only the rustle of the trees as the wind shuffled through their leaves.

It was night, the moon steadily moving along its path across the dark sky. The white orb was followed by some of the gazes of the nervous men.

Finally one of the soldiers worked up the courage to dare walk up to their leader.

'My lord Sheik, what is going on? Why are they not coming?'

The Sheikah had been standing in the same position for what seemed like an hour now. His soft eyes were locked to stare absentmindedly ahead of himself, arms crossed over his chest. He would seem like a statue if the wind hadn't grabbed on to his dark blue clothing, making it dance wildly around him. His hair blew around, his bangs blowing back o reveal his sad red eyes. He seemed so closed, like trying to process something inside him that saddened him beyond belief.

He did not react to the man's question, which only served to worry the soldier even more. First of all, their original leader was gone. The General seemed to have disappeared, and was nowhere to be found. Had he abandoned them, the eve before battle? And now they were to be lead by Sheik, whose mind seemed to be far away from the coming war. Some of the men had even wondered if he was leading them to death, since they had heard unconfirmed reports of the cavalry missing and that they were alone. The fact that she Sheikah had chosen not to wear any armor had only strengthened their beliefs that they were walking to their doom.

'My lord?' The soldier tried again, and finally the Sheikah seemed to register his question. His eyes slowly focused, and heaving a sigh he buried his troubles deep within. Then he turned to the soldier, encouraging them with a tiny smile.

'Courage is our best hope now.'

This statement hardly served to risen the spirits of the men who shifted uneasily on their places. Sheik's eyes were still locked onto the soldier that had asked him the question in the first place, but then he looked away. Little did the soldiers know that Sheik at the moment did not care if he lived… or died. If Link did not love him…. It didn't matter.

It was then, as the soldiers had processed this statement made of Sheik that there was a sudden _boom. _It was the muffled sound made of a drum.

All the men's eyes, including Sheik's, turned to the source of the sudden noise, which was by the south end of the forest. There was another _boom, _soon joined in by another. Then another, and another, until the whole valley below Sheik shook by the thunder of sounds.

Then they saw it.

The first head of a dark clad soldier, shortly followed by another head. Then there was a black banner, rising over the hill, battling against the strong wind. More soldiers appeared, until the came to a halt, apparently commanded by their leader. What Sheik and his soldiers could make out, they were well over a good few hundred of wicked men making out the front line.

Sheik's eyes locked onto their leader, studying him, knowing he himself and his men were well concealed in the protection of the trees.

---

Rásh lifted his arm and with a roar signaling for his men to come to a halt. He let his eyes roam over Hyrule, looking forward to destroy it. All the green and lush grass made him sick. _What a pitiful excuse for a country… _

He looked back at his army, who finished leaving the woods. It had been true hell walking through those woods, losing so many men. For they had been well over a fifty thousand strong men as they entered the forest, but that bloody princess' power had robbed Rásh well over half his army. Sill… he smirked. They had managed to damage the forest itself quite a lot. He could see all the way back to their camp through the still burning trees.

Then turning his eyes to the castle, he gave another roar, and his army started marching down the valley…

---

'My lord? Are we not going to attack?'

'…Wait.'

Sheik held up his hand to steady the men, as they all watched the enemy march down the valley. It was an alarming noise, drums mixed with thundering footsteps and terrifying war chants. Their army was about twenty thousand men, and as Sheik turned back to survey his own amount if men he estimated them to be about less than half of that amount. None the less, they were going to fight.

He completely turned around, looking at his men. He was not a man of many words, but knew he had to say something as he looked upon the uncertain faces of the soldiers. He plucked out his chain, holding it firmly in his hand, as he opened his mouth to speak.

'…Are you with me?' he asked softly.

The soldiers seemed to snap up something hopeful in his voice, as they all unsheathed their weapons, giving a cry. A cry with a mixture of pride for their country, of simple adrenaline or perhaps, a slight longing for death.

Sheik then turned, and with a nod to the soldier beside him, they rushed out the woods, moving to attack the enemy forces in the middle of their ranks, cutting them off in two…

---

Kratos struggled against the ropes, trying to squeeze his hand out. It had been an hour since he had been declared as the traitor. But he wasn't the traitor. But no one believed him.

He had been taken to a garden in the castle and quickly been tied to a pole, and had now been sitting there for an hour. His eyes shot to his left, where he saw both of his knives lying. Funny how unorganized his arrest seemed. Did anyone really know about his arrest save for Chase, Link and a few soldiers? There was something fishy about this…

He had almost wriggled his right hand out of the ropes, when he heard something. He looked up as Chase strode into the garden.

'Chase!' Kratos said, straightening up. The general stopped in front of him, staring at him with contempt. 'Chase,' Kratos continued, 'I am _not _the traitor. You know that. Just because you don't like me-'

'Oh, I _know _you are not the traitor, Kratos,' Chase said, a wicked grin no his lips, interrupting the man.

Kratos closed his mouth, surprised. A silence fell, and a look of confusion crossed the man's face. '…then why…?'

Chase slowly strode forth to Kratos, looking down upon him. 'Because I hate you.'

Suddenly Kratos looked angry. 'Is _this _what this is all about?' he snapped, 'because my people attacked your village? I told you several times, I was _not-' _

'I _know _you were not in that army!' Chase suddenly shouted, and Kratos' voice trailed off.

'And it was not _my _village,' Chase continued, pacing around in a circle, 'just some random poor little village. Don't you see? _I _was the one who ordered that attack!'

Kratos mouth fell open again, but he quickly closed it. For now he realized something. He narrowed his eyes, his eyes turning into a dangerous color of black. 'It was you. You are the traitor,' he said.

Chase had come to a halt and was looking at him with crossed arms. 'Bravo,' he said indifferently. Then he drew a breath. 'You see, Kratos, I do not hate you because I think you were in that army.' He paused, eyeing the man up and down. 'I hate you because I know you _weren't _in that army.'

Suddenly he threw away the part of his cloak to reveal a sword by his hip. He unsheathed it slowly, as to let Kratos know he was going to suffer.

'You are a coward, Kratos,' he stated, his voice suddenly calm. 'You refused the great Ganondorf. And for that, you will pay the prize.'

And then he rose his sword, walking forth to Kratos. Raising the sword further over his head, he then with a shout drove it down at Kratos.

But in that moment, Kratos had managed to free himself from the ropes tying him, and rolled out of the way, barely in time as the sword pierced into the ground he had been sitting. Chase looked up, furious over that he had missed.

Kratos' quick escape landed him luckily by his two long knives, which he quickly unsheathed, looking over to Chase.

The previous General did not even stop as he strode towards the man, bringing down his sword with a shout. Kratos blocked him efficiently by crossing his two blades, then ducking to end up behind the other man. He moved for a quick thrust but Chase was too quick for him; reaching back with his sword he blocked Kratos' attack just behind his head.

Chase turned, and their weapons clashed together again, both of them struggling for the upper hand, trying to kill each other with their stare. It was now Kratos noticed that Chase's eyes had changed significantly in color. The before cold grey eyes had now been replaced by a burning fire of red. Not the soothing dark shade of red that inhabited Sheik's eyes, but a mad fire that could only have been created by evil.

'So what are you, really?' Kratos asked, voice filled with scorn. 'Ganondorf's closest man?'

Their struggle between them suddenly took a turn as their battle of strengths caused their swords to pierce into the ground. Kratos quickly shifted his weight so that he could bring his knives up, but Chase took the sudden pause in battle to use his elbow to hit his enemy in his face. It was hard blow, and Kratos stumbled away.

'Something like that,' Chase grinned, replying to Kratos' previous question, wiping some blood of the corner of his mouth as he stalked after Kratos.

---

Link shot open her eyes, not realizing quite why she was lying down. As she remembered she inhaled sharply, but the motion only resulted in that she breathed in a mouthful of dust and she started coughing violently.

Sitting up, she calmed her cough, but fell completely silent as she looked around. An eerie silence ruled. Standing up, she turned her eyes towards the door she saw that it was closed.

…_where am I? _

She couldn't really remember it closing, just that Chase had grabbed her, and she stumbled through it. _Funny, I must've hit my head and passed out… _

A sudden loud laugh brought her attention behind her, and she spun around so quickly she nearly tripped. It was then she realized where she was.

…_Oh no._

She was standing on a small platform, and surrounded by a great, black, void. There was no sound, nothing, except for the laugh she'd heard earlier.

She was _inside_ the Seal of the Six Sages. And here… was Ganondorf. The laugh echoed through the chamber again, but this time Link chose to unsheathe her sword, narrowing her eyes.

'I am in no mood for games so you better come out…' Link muttered in a dangerous voice.

'…Or you'll do what?'

The dark voice of Ganondorf suddenly rang out and he appeared in front of her, hovering in the air, looking exactly like Link remembered him. She surrendered to her instinct of inhaling a bit more sharp, taking a step back. Tall, dark clad, red hair, his skin dark and his eyes blazing in a unnerving red color. The red color of evil.

She could feel herself trembling, and not because it was cold, (which it was, it was chilling to the bone), but from fear. Last time she had met this man, she… she had died.

He raised a questioning eyebrow to Link, who seemed unable to look him in the eye. The trembling increased, and she felt herself starting to panic. What was she going to _do? _

'Hmm? You'll do what?' he repeated in a bored voice. 'Kill me?'

But then Link was suddenly aware of the warm grip she had on the Master Sword. It seemed to spark something inside her, stirring up her hatred for that foul Gerudo man in front of her. If it wasn't for him… Link's eyes snapped back to him, blazing dark blue, almost black in rage. If it wasn't for him, none of this would have happened. Link's brother would be alive, she might have had a chance at a happy life, maybe even together with Sheik… She finally gathered her hatred and renewed her grip on the Master Sword, her features gathered in a scowl. 'If that's what it takes…'

Ganondorf suddenly gave another laugh, a barking laughter, but with no humor in it. 'Well, that sounds familiar.' He frowned in mocking thoughtfulness. 'Oh, wait, didn't you kill me once before?' Suddenly his voice turned dangerously dark.

Link's eyes narrowed into two slits._ What was he playing at? _ 'Do you have a point?'

Ganondorf snapped out of his dark mood, and instead a wry grin played on his lips. 'You killed my body. You see _this,' _he said, gesturing to his appearance, 'this is my soul you're looking at. So, technically, you can't kill me.'

Link looked at him, not even bothering to say something as she knew he was going to continue anyway. And he did. He turned his back to her, waving airily with one of his big dark hands. 'But I suppose I should thank you after all. I mean, I'm conscious, alive, and…' his voice trailed off as he fell silent. There was a silence that once again ruled the void. It was as if Ganondorf was listening to it, enjoying it for a simple moment. Then his voice loud again. 'And… now, since you are here, I can do…_this.' _

And on the word _this, _he suddenly spun around, shot out his hand towards Link, who was all of a sudden shoved away by some unseen force and smashed with force into the door behind her. The back of her head slammed hard into the stones and her vision turned bright white for a fraction of a moment. Then the sudden light was replaced by a fierce pain, and she slid to the ground, knocked out.

Ganondorf gave another barking laughter, though this time he seemed truly entertained.

Link scowled and cursing violently under her breath, she managed to regain her self-control and slowly got to her feet again.

'You know,' she said, grinding her teeth in anger, 'even though you are a soul or…' she paused slightly, choosing her words, 'or _whatever _you are, I'm sure I can still bring you some sort of pain.'

The grin vanished from Ganondorf's lips. 'I think you are forgetting something here,' he growled and suddenly floated over to the platform she was standing on and landed in front of her, causing her heart to beat a little bit faster. 'You cannot kill me since I am a spirit, but _you_ are still physical form, which tells us what?'

Link took a step backward. '…That you are _still _going to be trapped here forever, unless I destroy you first, that is.'

The unnerving grin on that had appeared on Ganondorf's lips did not vanish. 'No. It tells us that _I _can kill _you.' _

And with that he suddenly conjured up a sword our of thin air, holding it ready for a moment. But unlike the first battle they had, this time Link dealt the first blow, gathering all her hatred and suffering into that one blow. He blocked it, their swords clashing together. No other sword than the Master Sword could have held up to the phantom sword of Ganondorf.

But Ganondorf was strong, even without his share of the Triforce, and since Link did not have hers, he was pushing her of the platform. Suddenly he used his power to once again shove her away. Only this time, she was forced over the edge of the platform.

But instead of falling down into the infinity that was below them, she stayed put, hovering in the air, much like Ganondorf did. They were both stunned into silence, especially Link who did not quite enjoy the feeling of the empty void below her.

Ganondorf gave a frown. 'Curious. So the Goddesses have granted you some power after all.' Then he gave a shrug. 'It is of no importance. You, _Heroine,' _he said in a mocking voice, 'are still doomed.'

He lowered his sword, as Link raised hers, and floating up the air he stopped a few meters above her, leering down at her.

Link did not know how she did it, but somehow she maneuvered herself through the void slowly, and then suddenly shot up to her enemy's level, thrusting her sword at him. The sudden movement caught Ganondorf by surprise and he did not have time to block her as her sword went straight through his stomach.

She grinned triumphantly, but grew uneasy as the leering grin on Ganondorf's lips did not falter. He gave a soft chuckle. 'You see, Heroine? Not even your pitiful sword can kill me.'

With that he shifted his sword in his hand and hit her by his fist with full force, causing her to shoot away from him, tumbling through the black void until she was stopped by an invisible wall.

She smashed head first into the wall, feeling a wound slash up on her forehead. Drifting slowly away from the wall, she felt warm blood oozing down her temple, as she tried to block the pain out.

Snapping back, she shook her head slightly to revive herself and with the back of her hand wiped the blood away from her forehead, rising her eyes. Ganondorf rolled his eyes slightly to himself.

'Why do you even try? In case you haven't noticed, this is a battle you cannot win,' he said lazily, eyeing her with a raised eyebrow.

Despite the blood and slight dizziness in her head, Link cracked a grin. 'Nonetheless… I can try.'

And with a shout she swung her sword with a sudden newfound energy. Ganondorf was forced to raise his sword quickly to block it, backing several steps. Link swirled around, twisting the sword in her hand as she did, but never stopped her thrusts at the man. After all, this is what she had been doing these years. Fighting. Practicing her sword skill and archery. And she was good. Real good.

She drove her enemy backwards, further and further, until they hit another invisible wall, this time on the other side of the chamber. Angered by her sudden upper hand in the battle, Ganondorf swung his sword at her with a grunt but she quickly jumped over his low attack. As she was in the air, she planted her feet on his chest, stepping off in a back flip, using her weight to push him into the wall as he knocked his head.

She twisted the sword in her grip, eyes alit with the heat of the battle. Soon Ganondorf revived himself slightly, and took the opportunity to use his magic to shove her away, but Link saw it coming, and ducked behind her sword. Somehow, the magic of the Master Sword repelled the magic, sending it back on Ganondorf instead, knocking him into the wall yet again.

Link could not help to laugh slightly. Perhaps she had gone mad after that hit in the wall, or perhaps she realized how she had the advantage of the battle.

But is was then Ganondorf growled, and with surprisingly quick movements grabbed her hand with the sword with his left hand. Then with his right hand he grasped his fingers around his neck. Tight. Tighter. Link gasped for air, dropping the Master Sword, which still stayed afloat in the void.

Ganondorf snarled, narrowing his eyes at her own blue ones, whose fire seemed to falter slightly as she lacked air. They floated through the chamber until they were just hovering above the platform where Link had entered minutes before.

She struggled against his tight grip, at the same time choking. _I… need…to…breathe! _But as his grip tightened even more she felt another threat. He was going to crush her neck. Increasing her struggle, she fought him, until she could see the edges of her vision blurring, turning black…

Just as she thought she was going to faint, he released her, and with a sharp inhale of sweet air she fell to the stone floor. She coughed, not even bothering to block the pain out as she hit the hard floor. Instead she filled her lungs with cool air, breathing heavily as she lay on her back.

Ganondorf looked at her, satisfied that the annoying girl for the moment was still. There was something he wanted to tell her.

'You know,' he said, regaining the grin on his lips, 'I am not as blind up here as you may think.'

Link, who had regained enough air to listen to the man, sat up with some effort, furrowing her brow. What was he playing at now?

The Gerudo man raised an eyebrow, the leering smile on his lips again. 'I've been watching you, you know. And I must say, it's been quite a show. Especially how you handled that business with the Sheikah the other night.' He waved a hand airily. 'If I'd known he was going to cause you so much trouble… wouldn't it had been better if I'd just killed him back then when I had the chance?' he asked, a hint of thought in his voice, yet mocking. 'Because I would think-'

He was cut off, as the solid iron surface of Link's shield connected with his nose, the amount of force behind the blow crushing his nose. He cried out, raising his hand to his nose, blood trickling out between his fingers. He might not be able to die, but he could still feel the pain.

His eyes, blazing with a raging fire, shot to Link, who had risen to her feet, holding the shield in her right arm with a murderous expression on her face, panting slightly.

Ganondorf, though the blood still trickled from his nose, regained his poise, raising an questioning eyebrow. 'Was it something I said?' he asked innocently.

Without a word, Link's eyes narrowed into slits, and by her sheer will, the Master Sword – which had been floating several feet away – shot towards her, settling itself into her open palm.

Dropping the shield, she then leapt for attack, her limbs fueled with the rage caused by Ganondorf's previous words.


	14. Losing Hope

**The Heroine: War of Shadow**

_Losing Hope_

There was a muffled boom, echoing from the sealed chamber before them, the sound causing Zelda's worry to increase even more. How long time had passed since Chase had thrown Link into the Seal of the Six Sages? Five - ten minutes?

She shivered. The sacred realm was a place said to mirror the enterer's heart, but this chamber… Zelda let her eyes roam the empty void around her. This chamber was only cold.

Another boom against the doors brought Zelda back to reality. She stole a look at the guards in the chamber. There were four of them; two holding Zelda, and the other two that had been holding Link. Zelda knew it wasn't long until Chase would return and this time he would make her open that door, no matter what.

She realized now was the time. Shifting ever so slightly, not setting off the guards, she grasped her fingers around the clothing of both her guards, concentrating her magic. The guards noticed the sudden strain on their garbs but as they were about to turn in confusion they both felt a sharp wave of electricity through their bodies. They cried out in agony, then slumping to the ground, the faint blue glow of Zelda's magic still trailing along their skin as they jolted – an effect of the electricity.

The other guards in the room quickly wheeled around, clearly surprised by the accident. 'You!' they snarled at the Queen, unsheathing their swords in a menacing way .

Zelda, gathering her skirts and courteous as she was, carefully stepping over the lifeless guards, did not seem to have heard the guards.

As they both advanced however, she shot up her gaze, eyes completely livid with an azure fire. Then she extended her hands at the two men, palms outstretched, and let the same cool blue electricity flow from her body, closing her eyes as the agonizing screams from the guards reached her ears.

Finally she let her arms fall to her sides, and the guards fell silent, falling to the ground. She calmly opened her eyes again, panting slightly. Not from her recent use of strengths, but from anxiety. Her eyes traveled down to one of the unconscious guards. She hated using her powers like this. She was not strong, like Link. She could not handle hurting other people. It just wasn't in her nature.

But now… Her eyes once again started to burn with that azure fire. Now it was different. How long was it since she had felt the presence of the darkness' army? Hours? It didn't matter. They had invaded her country, threatening the people she cared for more than herself, the peace she loved so much…

She could not help it, but the events had stirred an emotion in her she had not felt for a long time. An emotion that sent the power and magic flowing through her body swifter than her blood, making her even more powerful than the Sages together. An emotion few had seen in her.

_Anger. _

---

The roar of the battle was a deafening sound. Everywhere there were agonizing screams from soldiers on both sides, blood pouring from wounds, arrows piercing through steel armor and blades cleaving through flesh like butter. There was the smell of something burning, maybe a fire, and a dark smoke rose to the dark sky, which was clouded with thundering clouds. Soon the stench of death would spread over the grounds, more horrible than the battle itself.

Hyrule field, once a realm of beauty and prosperity, was now a horrible place.

At least, those were the morbid thoughts of Sheik as he struggled for mere survival down in the field. He was growing weary, as he slit the throat of yet another dark creature that had charged him. No matter what they did, the enemy's army crept closer and closer to the walls of the city, and the castle.

It was no use, Sheik thought as he scanned the field for a brief moment. They where hopelessly outnumbered. He had long known that the soldiers now had alarmed started to realize. They were not going to win. They were going to die.

For every enemy the Hylians defeated another two charged them. If lucky, one would meet his death right now on this field, rather than be tortured by the hands of his enemy until the light of his life left him.

With these depressing thoughts Sheik continued the fight without hope.

---

Chiyo's bare feet scurried over the grass as she was running quickly through the grounds just outside the castle. She had just woken up and was swearing to herself as she ran. That Gimel had drugged her eariler so that she could sleep though she was in pain from her wounds. But she had thought she was going to sleep for a few hours, not an entire day!

She had only woken up as she had heard the infernal sound of the battle down on the field. Then she had leapt from her bed, dashing madly through the empty castle, at the same time wriggling into her clothes.

Now, outside the castle, her eyes adjusting to the dark night sky, she stopped only to remove the bandage around her wings. It was then her eyes caught the sight of Hyrule Field and the air deserted her lungs. A hellish roar sounded from the field, but the sight of the battle was worse than the noise. The soldiers looked small from Chiyo's view, like children, fighting for their lives. But even from where Chiyo stood, she could see the blood, see the agonizing screams cross over the soldiers' faces before they fell to the ground, never to move again.

'It is a sight you wish you'd never live to see…isn't it?' a soft voice said.

Chiyo yelped in surprise, spinning around. She thought the castle had been deserted, but apparently not everyone had fled. It took the angel some time to locate the voice, until her eyes settled upon a thin dark clad figure standing not far from her, just upon the summit of the hill, eyes fixed on the battle. Chiyo wouldn't have recognized her, if it wasn't for the long blond hair.

'Zelda?' Chiyo burst out incredulously, not referring the Queen by her title, but by her first name. She was surprised, since she had not fallen asleep before she had heard all the news from Gimel. The disappearance of Zelda, Link and the others, the trap of the cavalry, and… the betrayal of the General.

'Zelda, where have you been?' the angel asked, stalking forth to the Queen, a cold wind from the field taking hold of her dark red hair, tugging on it violently. Her auburn eyes sparked as she didn't wait for a reply, continuing her rant. 'Everything's gone wrong here, the cavalry is gone, so is Link. And there is no one in charge of the defenses of the city…' The angel buried her head in her thin hands as she finally let the despair wash over her. 'And the General…'

'I am perfectly aware of the General's betrayal,' Zelda cut in, and there was something in her voice that made Chiyo look up again.

The Queen grasped the streaks of the blond hair closest to her face, tying it into a plate, leaving the rest of her hair lose under it. Chiyo took note of the sudden serious spark in Zelda, as well as realized that she was no longer wearing a dress. Upon the Queen's slender form was a pair of tight black trousers tucked into high black thin boots. Her torso was covered in a dark blue shirt, lose, yet sown to fit her figure. Over her shoulders she wore a golden armor, giving protection yet light enough to move swiftly in. Dark blue gloves covered her fragile fingers, and in her right palm rested a long, very thin but extremely sharp sword, the hilt made of smooth gold.

The crown the Queen usually wore was gone as she turned to Chiyo.

'…what are you doing?' the angel asked her, who for the matter, was still in her black jumpsuit, hanging lose over her athletic body.

'What does it look like I'm doing?' Zelda shot back, a biting grimness in her voice. She twisted the sword in her palm, as if it was something she did everyday, though no one had hardly seen her ever with a sword. Or any weapon, for that matter. Then she shot her blue eyes to Chiyo, her sapphire gaze burning with intensity.

'I am going to defend my country.'

Her statement had an impact upon Chiyo, who nodded slowly. She turned her dark gaze to the small number of Hylian soldiers fighting down on the field. 'They are losing. We have to help them.'

Zelda nodded, her usual soft features now sharp-looking as an effect of her hair being pulled back. 'I am going to the city wall. They need someone leading them.'

And with that the Queen suddenly closed her eyes, extended her arms slightly, palms outstretched, turned sky-wards. Chiyo furrowed her brow. _What the…? _

She overhear a slight murmur coming from Zelda, who seemed to be calling some kind of spell.

'_I call upon the wind of Faroe, to take me there my heart desires…' _

And suddenly, a bright green light appeared around the Queen, so bright Chiyo was forced to raise her hand and cover her eyes, backing several steps. As she lowered her hand, Zelda was gone.

'That's… impressive,' Chiyo muttered awed to herself. '…Wish I had some Goddess to call upon whenever I was in trouble…' she continued to mutter. But then, she did not need a Goddess to take her where she wanted. She had her own ways.

Removing the rest of the bandage around her right wing she found to her delight that the wound had almost healed fully, only on a few hours. That Gimel sure was a good healer, she had to remember to thank him later. Suddenly she caught herself wondering where he was, hoping he was alright.

How she did not know, but she had connected with him, since that first time she saw him, sitting upon that sand-colored steed. Something about him made her feel-

'So not the time for these thoughts,' she quickly interrupted herself, blushing slightly in her solitude. Flapping her wings tentatively, she found that they worked without pain and she brought out two long knives, like Kratos, but their shape more similar to Zelda's sword. 'Time to do some real damage,' she muttered.

Then she started running, and as she reached the sharp drop of the hill, she blindly leaped out, flapping her wings with force and soaring off towards the boiling cauldron that was war.

---

The pale green light around Zelda grew fainter, until her vision cleared completely and the green light shot up into the sky again, where it had first come from. She was standing in the middle of the city. It was deserted.

The grand white city, always full with people of different races, merchants and likewise was now dead empty. The city which always gleamed in the sun's warm light was now shadowy and eerily cold. A raw wind found its way in between the buildings, flying over the bricks where Zelda stood, and she shivered. It was silent here, the hellish noises from the battle sounded muffled, as if they were not of this world.

A sudden _boom _much louder than the other noises caused Zelda to snap back, and the ground shook violently for a moment, causing her to stagger back. A pillar of smoke rose from the city wall, and she realized it had been hit. The enemy had reached the gates!

Breaking into a run, her light steps echoing of the empty city, she reached the stairs leading to the wall, and ran up, taking two steps in one. She reached the upped landing, but as she set eyes landed on the field below she recoiled in shock.

It looked worse from there. Here she had a clear view of the battle, could see every trickle of blood, hear every scream of pain and feel the fear of death. She could see her people hopelessly outnumbered, the black mass which was the enemy moving steadily towards the city wall, killing everything in its way. They had loaded up catapults, filled with great flaming boulders. Apparently, that's what the wall had been hit with.

Zelda's back met the cold surface of the stonewall behind her, and she slumped against it. She closed her eyes, breathing in deep, inhaling the air which was tainted with blood and pain, and exhaling again. This was wrong. She had never been in a war. It shouldn't be like this.

'Milady?'

She shot open her eyes. But boy, was she going to fight anyway. For she _was _ready for this.

She stood up straight, her oceanic eyes settling upon a tall man with dark brown hair and stormy grey eyes. 'Captain,' she nodded in greeting. His eyes widened as he recognized her.

'You highness!' He quickly lowered his back into a ungraceful bow. 'What are you doing here?' he asked worriedly. 'This is no place for a Queen!'

'Yes, it is,' Zelda said under her breath, doubting the Captain heard her as she walked past him, towards the center of the wall, right above the gate to the city.

'Your highness,' the captain pressed on, his long strides quickly overtaking hers as he appeared beside her. 'Barricade yourself in the castle,' he advised her, but she ignored him, striding on.

'That's an order!' the captain said boldly behind her. Finally she stopped and wheeled around to face him.

'Correct me if I am wrong, Captain, but I _am _the Queen, therefore _you_ will follow _my_ orders,' she scolded, for the first time ever losing her temper.

The captain fell silent, as did the rest of the soldiers on the wall, who couldn't help to overhear their quarrel.

The captain looked at his Queen, intimidating despite her fragile frame, her azure eyes burning. It was as if the war stopped for a moment, even the deafening sounds from the field, and a beat of silence passed.

'…then what are your orders… your highness?' a cautious voice belonging to a soldier said behind her, afraid to set her off again.

But she didn't explode again, instead she turned to the wall, looking out over the raging war, something in her eyes that the soldiers couldn't read.

'Load the trebuchets,' her clear voice suddenly rang, and the soldiers immediately sprang to action to fulfill her wish. Zelda turned back to the captain, her eyes on fire.

'Show these foul creatures that we are a force to be reckoned with.'

---

Link rushed through the air, her ears filling with a whooshing sound as she shot through the chamber like a projectile. Slamming hard into the doors – the very same doors she had entered through what now seemed like hours ago – she felt her ribs crack. Ganondorf's magic pressed her harder to the wall, long enough for Link to crack another rib, until he let her go and she fell to the stones of the floor, hitting her forehead hard. Letting a painful groan escape her lips, she mustered all her strength to pick herself up from the ground. She couldn't see, some kind of warm liquid was running down her eyes. With great effort she reached up with her arm, wiping her face of with her sleeve. As her vision cleared she saw it was soaked in blood.

In a daze she looked up, trying to locate her opponent. She found him hovering in the air just above her, and she moved to attack him with her sword, only to found it was not in her palm. _My sword… where is my sword? _She could not remember losing it. In fact, she could not remember much at all, only…

_Pain. _

At least, that's what she felt as Ganondorf suddenly grabbed hold of her shirt, hitting her square in her left temple with his fist. Without a word, he loosened his fingers around her shirt, and she slumped to the ground, and this time, she didn't get up.

Ganondorf floated down to the platform, towering above her broken frame, looking at her indifferently. He had succeeded in angering her to the point where she lost control of herself and he had easily grabbed the upper hand of the battle.

Now that she was weak enough… he could make his move.

He extended his large foot, pushing her so that she lay on her back, and he could see that she was still alive and also, conscious. _Good. _He couldn't afford to kill her. Then his efforts would be wasted.

Her fading dark blue eyes rested upon him, not even bothering to muster the rage in them she always saved for him. They were emotionless, and one would think Link was dead, if she was not breathing in ragged breaths.

'…What a pitiful excuse for a Heroine you are,' Ganondorf suddenly said. It wasn't a sarcastic comment or tease, it was just a plain statement.

'…save me the mockery and just kill me,' Link croaked, her voice faint. It was no use fighting anymore. Her hope had left her. Her last moment had come, and yet all she could think about… was Sheik. Now she would never get the chance to tell him she was wrong. That she really loved him. …_Goddesses, I beg of you… give him happiness, he, of all people deserves it the most-_

'I am not going to kill you,' Ganondorf stated flatly.

This shocked Link so much that she abandoned her prayer and forgot about Sheik, propping up to her elbows. Somehow, she had regained a little of her strength.

'What?' She cocked an eyebrow, eyeing him suspiciously.

'It was never my intention to kill you,' he continued in the same flat voice.

Link furrowed her brow in confusion. 'What are you talking about?' she asked baffled.

'Haven't you ever wondered why there are tales of Heroes and evils before me…and you?'

She raised her eyebrows; this was the last question she was expecting.

'Why people kept telling you about your destiny? Telling you that the Hero had been reborn with you?' Ganondorf continued.

Link lowered her eyebrows again, glaring at him. 'No.' She honestly hadn't. And why was he talking about this? What did it matter?

'Well,' he continued, turning his back to her, floating away a few yards, 'being up here, I've had some time to think. And I've come to realize…' he turned back to her, still in the air, regarding her bruised and bloody frame. 'This is not a battle between you and me. It is a battle between our souls.'

Link's completely blank face told him he had lost her. But the girl was remembering something Zelda had told her long ago, back when she first learned that she was the Heroine.

'_You see, the same thing happened a long time ago. Yet then a boy, dressed in green, rode out and saved the land by defeating Ganondorf, wielding the great Master Sword,' Zelda said. _

'_The Master Sword?' Link echoed. _

_Zelda nodded. 'It is the only weapon Ganondorf can be defeated with, and only the great Hero can wield it.' _

_Link looked down at the ground. 'So who's this great hero?' _

_Zelda looked at her. 'It is you.' _

Slowly Link realized what it was Ganondorf was talking about, as he continued. 'Whenever _evil _returns to Hyrule,' he started, putting a lot of mocking emphasis on the world _evil, _since he referred to himself'the spirit of the Hero is reborn. So it doesn't matter who of us wins or loses. Because in the long run, it won't matter. Our spirits will be reborn yet again, fighting… till the end of time.'

Link suddenly narrowed her gaze at him. 'Is this what this was all about?' she asked incredulously. 'To fight me and tell me this?'

Ganondorf gave a grin. 'Yes.'

'But… what about the army? The war?' she stuttered, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't believe it. All this... because of…

'Just a reason for you to enter here,' he grinned. 'I was leading the army, therefore you would want to kill me. And here we are.'

Link let her head drop to the stone cold floor, letting the chill from the cold stone spread to her burning body. 'Oh, Goddess,' she whispered faintly. This whole war… it was just a brick in the whole game. To trap Link.

'But that is of no importance,' Ganondorf continued, returning to their previous subject, 'If you don't believe me, let me give you an example: You killed me two years ago, and yet you see, my soul survived. I am still alive. We _can't_ kill each other.'

'What does it matter?' Link asked wearily. Somehow, all this information was such a strain on her.

'It matters because I want you _dead. _Permanently,' Ganondorf bit back.

Link gave a grin, despite her fatigue. 'But you will never kill me. Because like you now said, it is a battle between our souls.'

'Indeed,' Ganondorf grinned, but his next words caused Link's blood to go cold. 'But I've found a way around that.'

She was just about to ask him what the hell he meant, when he suddenly closed his eyes, grunting, a sweat breaking on his forehead.

Link managed to scramble to her feet. _What the hell is he doing? _

He grunted again, this time louder, and began withering in pain. Link took a step forth, eyeing the man with cautious interest.

With a yell of pain, the Gerudo man suddenly vaporized into what seemed like black smoke. Link frowned, recognizing the smoke. If she wasn't mistaken, it was the same black smoke she had seen when she had defeated him those years ago. The shadow that had risen from his broken body. _His soul… _

Suddenly the smoke, that had merely been hovering in the air, started to move, twirling in steady circles. Link heaved a sigh. She was so tired of being confused. _Just what is going on? _

The shadow moved faster and faster, until suddenly, without warning, it shot towards her with incredible speed. Link managed to back a step, inhaling sharply, raising her arms to protect her, as if the shadow would attack her. But as it made contact with her skin, she strangely felt it entering her body, flowing through her mouth, trickling into her eyes, seeping through her skin, entering her very core, her soul…

Then it all went black.

* * *

**Soo… what do you think?? Gimme some reviews now people! **


	15. Glint of Light

**Before you read this chapter, I just wanted to say that I only got two reviews for the last chapter, which really makes me sad… while there were 31 who had read the story.. Come on people, you've gotta give me some reviews! **

**Anyway, here's the next chapter. I know it's not very long, but I needed it to get the next story to flow, so enjoy. And don't forget the reviews!**

* * *

**The Heroine: War of Shadow**

_Glint of Light_

Everything was dark, silent, cold…. _numb… _ until she forcefully made contact with the ground, tumbling around till she finally came to a stop. _What the…? _

Link snapped up her eyes, and found herself staring into darkness. But as her gaze focused after a few moments she saw something twinkling at her. Stars. And she was lying on something soft. Was it grass? A soft wind caressed her cheek, bringing some warmth. For some reason, Link was very cold.

_Where am I, anyway? _

She quickly sat up, and looked about. A castle, lush grass… suddenly it dawned upon her. She was back in Hyrule!

_Wait, back? Where was I before? _

She struggled to remember, when her inner eye saw two pair of red eyes flashing open, and she jerked in surprise. _Right, Ganondorf… _

Funny, she remembered fighting him up in the Sacred Realm. But why was she back in Hyrule?

_Darkness… nothing but a dark void…burning red eyes…pain…I'm losing….I'm dying…I'm not going to survive…._

Link shot open her eyes, panting. What was this? She remembered being up in the Seal with Ganondorf, fighting him. But she had been losing, he was killing her… And all that _pain_!

Slowly, Link rose to her feet, at the same time frowning. How come she was back in Hyrule, and only felt a light pain, no worse than a couple of bruises? Just a few moments ago, she had been dying… _Why can't I remember what Ganondorf did? Just what the hell happened up there?_

A deafening sound suddenly made her jump in surprise. She wheeled around, setting her eyes upon the waging war down on the field. The War! As she realized this, all her other memories suddenly rushed back to her. Not what happened up in the chamber with Ganondorf, but events before that…

The Sacred Realm with Zelda and – her features darkened into a scowl- Chase. Before that, standing on the hill before the castle with Zelda, preparing for the war. And before _that_, watching the enemy's army on the view point with Chase and the arrest of Kratos-

Link sucked in a lungful of air. _Kratos!_

She wheeled around, her gaze darting around as if expecting him within distance of sight. _The guards… they took him to the castle. _

With this piece of information in her mind, she broke into a dash towards the castle's gardens in search for her friend.

---

'Argh!' Chase twisted around so fast he must've cracked his spine, only to block Kratos' attack. The southern warrior was much swifter than the previous General, but he had more brute strength, which he proved by taking a powerful swipe at the man who barely avoided it. Kratos ducked, at the same time swinging his legs around under him, bringing down the General's legs from under him, and he crashed to the ground.

Kratos grabbed one of his knives, bringing it down to Chase's stomach, but he forcefully kicked Kratos in his stomach and the man flew back. Chase got to his feet, grabbing his sword in the move, stalking towards Kratos. He quickly leapt to his feet, twisting his knives around in his palms, crossing them to block the man's attack.

'Kratos!' a light voice rang out, and both men turned their heads to the source of the voice and saw Link suddenly sprinting around the corner. She stopped dead however as she noticed the two men, her blue eyes widened in surprise. A beat of silence followed, where everyone seemed to pause, reflecting on the situation.

Chase was the one of them who snapped back first, and with his left hand managed to grab hold of both of Kratos arms, taking a swipe at him with his sword, dealing a deadly blow.

But Kratos' quick reflexes managed to snap up what the man was doing, and his instincts told him to turn his wrists so his knives pointed down.

The effect of this move was that Chase's sword, instead of hitting Kratos' ribs, clashed into his knife, and his arm connecting with the sharp surface of the other knife, the knife cutting easily through his flesh.

Chase shrieked in pain over the deep wound, dropping his sword. He then fell silent, his eyes widening in horror as he realized that he had lost. Kratos wasted no time, and with a shout, drove both his knives through the stomach of Chase. The General inhaled sharply, and a sudden silence followed, cut off only by the panting of Kratos. A beat of silence passed, and Link found herself panting from the extreme loaded atmosphere.

Suddenly Chase gave a gurgle and blood started to trickle from his mouth. He slumped to his knees, his horror-struck eyes still resting upon Kratos. The raven-haired warrior bent down, planting his palms around his knives.

'This is for destroying my people with your hellish plans,' he snarled, then forcefully pulled out his knives.

Chase gave a gasp, but it ended up sounding like a horrible hoarse gurgle, as blood oozed out from his belly. He fell to the ground, landing so that his empty eyes - still open wide with horror – was looking straight at Link.

He was dead.

Link realized she had held her breath at Chase's death, and now dared to exhale. Swallowing, she tore her gaze away from the dead Chase, and looked into the soft brown eyes of Kratos.

He saw her eyes filled with remorse, almost tears, and pushing Chase away with his foot, Kratos walked over to her.

'Kratos…' she started faintly. 'I'm so sorry.'

It was then he lit up in his usual grin, as if nothing hadn't happened. 'For what?' he said softly.

Link breathed a sigh of relief, walking over to him, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. His strong arms wrapped around her small frame. Link felt a sting of guilt in her. How close was it that she had sent him to his death?

A sudden _boom _echoed through the ground, and they both staggered back as the world shook around them. Link eyes snapped up again, as they both realized that they had forgotten about the war.

They both turned, running out of the gardens, passing the stonewalls until they reached the hill overlooking the city and the Hyrule field. To their horror they found that the enemy was quickly weakening the city's defenses, also, what little that was left of the infantry was losing quickly.

'We have to get out there,' Link stated briskly, tightening the grip on her sword and shield that were in her hands. She looked at Kratos, both of them nodding gravely at each other.

---

Another ladder filled with dark soldiers reached the gate, the soldiers pouring over the wall. A Hylian soldier was just about to cut of the restraint rope to his trebuchet but was knifed down by en evil soldier. Zelda advanced, using her thin sword to cut of the restraint rope, and the machine swung around, sending away a heavy boulder, as well as hitting the dark soldiers on the wall as the weight of the machine swung back.

But more soldiers kept coming, and Zelda shot out her arm, hitting them square in their chests with the fire of Din herself. The ones who survived charged her, but she twisted her sword in her palm, more than ready for them.

Suddenly, there was a cry in the air, over voicing all sounds, as the battle turned into complete silence for a beat. The words rung out in the air, making not only Zelda's head snap up.

'_The Heroine!'_

Zelda spun around, hope in her heart, and indeed, on the field she saw two figures galloping. One of them was Link, upon her fiery red stallion, and beside her, Kratos on his black one.

A tremble of fear seemed to pass through the enemy's soldiers as they realized what happened, as well as a streak of new hope through the Hylian army. They fought on with revived strength, as Link unsheathed her Master Sword that gleamed despite the fact that there was no light to reflect. The clouds were still thick over the field, and dawn had not yet come.

Zelda quickly thrust her sword through the dark soldier in front of her, watching him fall to the ground with a shriek, dying. The Queen looked up again, seeing that the evil soldiers on the wall had temporarily been defeated. She spun around, turning her gaze to the field, and with a sinking heart she saw the Hylian army, constantly shrinking in amount.

But with the hope Link seemed to have brought with her, and the rage-fueled strength within Zelda, the Queen extended her arm towards the field, closing her eyes, feeling her magic flow through her. And then from the sky, there was a sudden light.

---

Sheik, who while fiercely battling a dark soldier, had failed to hear the cry of the solder that the Heroine had returned. Instead, with a cry of strength managed to thrust his knife into the chest of the soldier. He gurgled as blood started to pour from the wound, and stumbled to the ground.

Panting and breaking a sweat, Sheik looked up, as the sky had suddenly turned surprisingly bright. A bright field of energy slowly lowered itself from the clouds, lighting up the previous murky battlefield. As it reached the ground, Sheik saw that it settled around the hundred or so Hylian soldiers that were left. The battle seemed to pause, where soldiers on both sides regarded the force field with caution and surprise. It enclosed only the Hylian warriors, like some bubble.

Then one of the enemy's solders cried out in pain as he tentatively had reached out to touch the wall of magic, and he vaporized into thin air. The soldiers closest to him recoiled in shock, afraid of the magic barrier. The Hylian solders stood passive for a few moments, wondering what to do.

Hesitating, Sheik reached out with his hand, his fingers grazing the energy, and found that his fingers passed through it as easily as if had been air.

Then he realized something, and spun around, darting his gaze around. And just as he'd suspected, he located a figure shining in light, clearly the source of the sudden force field, standing on the city wall. Sheik lit up in a relieved smile. _Zelda. _

The energy field she had created worked in benefit for the Hylian soldiers. The enemy soldiers couldn't penetrate through the field, as they died merely by touch. The Hylian soldiers, though, could pass through it as if it wasn't even there.

Sheik, new hope in his chest, turned to his soldiers. 'Archers!' he shouted and the soldiers quickly formatted around, to put the archers in the front. Then at Sheik's command, they fired at their enemy.

---

Link tugged sharply on the reins, forcing Epone to a sudden halt. He snorted alarmed, ears pricked forward, as he, like his rider looked at the bright force field protecting the Hylian soldiers. Link looked over at Kratos, who too had come to a halt beside her, but he was looking to his right, up and over Link. The Heroine followed his gaze, craning her neck to spot a figure standing on the wall, her hair shining like light.

'Zelda,' Link breathed, a relieved smile on her lips. 'She's alright.'

Kratos noted her relief, which made him realize he had no idea what had happened to Link the past few hours. Why was she relieved about Zelda?

'Where… exactly were you?' Kratos suddenly asked in his deep voice, and Link let her gaze drop from the wall and turned back to Kratos.

'I…' her voice trailed off as she realized she wasn't too sure of what to reply. 'Remind me to tell you later.'

Kratos frowned, but had no time to reply as Link suddenly twisted her blade around in her palm, tugging on Epone's reins with her other hand, making the stallion rear. Then with a shout, she urged him forth and he leapt into gallop, racing forth.

Zelon shoved his head downwards, giving a prance and kicking out with his hind legs, but Kratos did not lose his balance. Instead he leaned back slightly, driving his heels into his stallion's sides. He immediately rose his head and after giving a small read, galloped after Epone and Link.

The dark soldiers had seen her coming, and had hastily aimed their bows at her, but did fire in time. Epone simply galloped over them, and Link's sharp sword cut their throats. She drove her red stallion through the hordes of black soldiers, trying to get to the force field in the middle of the battle. There was only one goal in her mind: find Sheik. She had to make sure he was alright.

With a frustrated cry she thrust her sword down at the shoulder of her enemy, who fell to get trampled by Epone. Seeing an opening in the mass of enemy soldiers where Link was, she drove Epone forth to gallop through it. They reached a hill, climbing it quickly to then reach the summit. The sound of hooves behind Link confirmed that Kratos was just behind her, and she came to a halt.

They were just outside the woods, not far from where Sheik and the Hylians had waited for the enemy. It was calm here, as the battle was raging in the valley, not at the edge of the forest.

Link desperately scanned the Hylian soldiers, but could not see Sheik. He had to be alright. He just had-

'He's down there, Link,' Kratos suddenly said in a soft voice. 'He's alright.'

Link felt oddly comforted by his words, and felt her nerves calm slightly. She smiled, about to reply, when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye, from the southern part of the woods, where the enemy army had originated from, and turned Epone around, to indeed see a sight for sore eyes…

---

Panting slightly from pressure, Zelda opened her eyes to see that she had succeeded in making a force field to protect her country's army. But it was draining her of energy, and quickly so as well. Trembling slightly she backed a few steps to lean against the wall. Half of her mind was focused on keeping the force field intact and the other part of her mind was with her then and there, minding her surroundings. The soldiers on the wall were all running around in chaos, reloading the trebuchets and firing arrows at the enemy's soldiers below the wall. She could not tell if there were any siege towers by the wall, perhaps they had all been destroyed…

But it was then she felt a sharp pain sear through her side, and she inhaled sharply. Hazily she spun around, seeing a figure just in front of her, sword raised, ready to strike again. But he reflexes quick, she thrust her sword at him before he could react and killed him. She watched him stagger to the ground, and noted how her surrounding were starting to grow dim at the edges. She looked up at the force field, seeing how it started to face like her strength. She needed to keep it intact, but her wound was draining her of her powers. Blood oozed out as her conscious started to slip away.

But then she heard a sound, and looked up to the horizon to the south, where the enemy's army had first come from. It was the clear sound of a horn being blown, and she recognized that horn. It was the horn of Hyrule. It caused the whole war down on Hyrule Field to come to a halt. Everyone seemed to turn to the south, to the hill where the sounds were coming from. Soon, Zelda could see figures appearing on the hill far away, thousands of figures. The horn blew again, and Zelda heaved a sigh of relief, despite the pain it brought her. The cavalry. They had returned.

As the horses and their riders made their way to the hill, they brought with them a bright light, and what seemed as a sudden warmth. The dark sky seemed to edge away, giving way for the sudden glow.

_The sun, _Zelda thought relieved. Dawn was here.

It was with that knowledge and hope that Zelda's legs suddenly buckled with, and she crumpled to the ground, her world completely dark.

* * *

**So, hope you liked it. So please, please, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! I'm going crazy over the lack of reviews… I need the criticism guys! I know it's a sequel and all, but only two reviews per chapter? That's bleak… -sob-**


	16. Final Strengths

**Yes! I finally, FINALLY managed to finish this chapter. I had a real hard time writing it, since I was a bit unmotivated to a start, plus that the end of the war is in this chappie, and I wasn't really sure of how I was going to write it… Anyway, I'm seriously sorry for the long wait, please don't hate me! But to my defense I will say that school has had its main goal to suffocate me in homework and tests these past weeks, so I hope some of you know what I've been going through. But I will have you know school, you shall never defeat me! For I am invincible! …or not.**

**Anyway, here it is, the awaited (hopefully) chapter!**

* * *

**The Heroine: War of Shadow**

_Final Strengths _

Tzadek tossed her head, jumping nervously to her side. Gimel calmed his nervous horse, despite he had no calm to offer. The scene before him scared him well out of his wits. The whole field of Hyrule was drenched in the war. The air was thick with smoke and the stench of death. The sounds heard were the cries of pain and agony of the soldiers.

Gimel felt his face go pale.

"So this is war…"

He turned Tzadek around, letting his gaze roam over the army he had brought with him. Eight thousand riders and their horses were all looking out over the scene he had seen, the raging war below them. All of them were looking equally frightened and nervous.

Gimel felt his heart sink. He had been filled with so much hope as he had found the cavalry in the woods, and raced with them back to Hyrule. But now he didn't know what to do. Was he supposed to lead them? He swallowed.

"Gimel!" a voice suddenly cried out, and the farmer spun around. He immediately spotted Link galloping towards him on Epone, followed by Kratos.

"Link! Kratos!" Gimel exclaimed, baffled. He felt immensely relieved to see familiar faces, but then the confusing events that happened earlier caught up with him. A puzzled expression crossed his features. "Where have you been? I've been so worried! Sheik is down there-"

"I know," Link cut in, and Gimel noticed the stress in her tone, and her tense expression. Gimel furrowed his brow. "Link… what's wrong?"

The girl's dark blue eyes lingered on his for a moment, then she dropped them to the ground, letting a sigh escape her lips. Kratos, too, eyed Link with curiosity. Something had troubled Link this day, but neither of the men knew what.

Link looked up again, a façade over her features, a forced smile on her lips. "Remind me to tell you later," she said quietly. Gimel arched an eyebrow, but did not question her further as the girl suddenly noticed his pale face.

"Gimel," Link suddenly said softly. "You shouldn't be here."

But the farmer set his jaw determinedly. "Yes, I do." Link focused in on him, her gaze more intense as the farmer spoke up. "I have to be here. Though perhaps you want to, you can't protect me from this war. And don't ask me to leave. You cannot deny me the right to fight for the country I love."

And with that, he unsheathed a sword – a spare he had received from one of the soldiers – gripping it tightly in his palm. He looked a bit out of place and pale, but nonetheless determined.

Link regarded him for a moment, then suddenly said in a faint voice, "Is that what you want?"

A look of confusion crossed Gimel's eyes before Link suddenly turned Epone and faced the army. The Hylian soldiers were all looking uneasy and pale.

"Is that what anyone of you want?" she asked with a loud voice. "…To fight for the country you love?"

Then she stole a glance at the war over her shoulder, letting the air slowly leave her lungs in a heavy sigh as she turned back to the soldiers. "Because I don't," she said to them. Pressing her heels at Epone's sides, they cantered off alongside the front line of the cavalry.

"I'd rather be a hundred miles from this horrid war!" she shouted to the soldiers, to over voice the roar of the war. The soldiers seemed baffled by her statement, and Gimel and Kratos stole a quick puzzled glance at each other.

"And yet I am here."

Link brought Epone to a stop as she said this, and her stallion gave a slight toss with his head, the white mane flying across his muscular neck.

Link ignored her excited horse. "I am here, because this is my home. And no matter how far away I am…" now there was a hint of sadness in Link's voice, "no matter how hard I try to get away from it…it will always be my home."

She urged Epone into canter again, but this time to the other direction, still alongside the front line of the cavalry. "And this is your home too!" she cried, rising the spirits of the soldiers. And again, she came to a halt, steadying the eager Epone under her. "I love my home. I love this country. Do you?"

She narrowed her eyes at the solder, raising her voice. "Do you love this country? Your home?"

There was a ringing "Yes!" from the soldiers, and a smile spread across Link's face. The adrenaline was starting to pulse through her. She unsheathed her sword, the Master Sword's blade gleaming in the rising sun. There was a loud metallic clanging as the soldiers followed her example and unsheathed their weapons.

"So fight!" she cried. "Not because I am asking you to, but to fight for the country you love! Die for it!"

The soldier gave a loud cheer of mere adrenaline, and Epone reared in excitement as Link turned him back to Gimel and Kratos, who looked at her, Gimel in awe and Kratos with raised eyebrows in an impressed expression.

"Some speech," he said with an amused voice.

But Link didn't even scowl at him for his remark, she merely looked at them with a grim expression, and Kratos' expression died down as he finally realized the gravity of the situation.

"…Are you with me?" Link asked quietly, her blue eyes burning with intensity. Kratos gave a quick grim nod.

"Always," Gimel replied.

Link nodded slowly, taking one last glance at the war raging in the valley, and then gave a nod to Kratos, who sprang into action. Tugging the reins to Zelon, he turned his great black stallion around. "Gimel," he said, "take the left flank, and I'll lead the one on the right."

Gimel, paling a little bit more, nodded and swiftly turned Tzadek around, setting of in a smooth canter towards the left part of the cavalry.

Kratos, having no problem to tame his agitated stallion galloped off, leaving Link in the middle. A raw wind caught her shirt, sending it flying around her petite torso. The strand of her hair that had fallen out the messy bun she'd made kept flying around her eyes as the girl paused for a moment, reflecting over what she was about to do.

Then Epone gave a snort and rose his hoof to stomp at the ground somewhat impatiently.

Link immediately snapped back from her thoughts and looked up, turning around, setting her gaze upon the Hylian army. All of the soldiers were staring back at her with faces lit in excitement.

"Let's send these foul beast back to where they came from," Link said in a loud voice, and as Epone rose on his hind legs, she raised the Master Sword, crying "_Charge!" _

And with that, she pressed her heels at Epone's sides, who leapt of in gallop, followed by the cavalry.

_Thunder. _That was the word a soldier used long after the war when he described the attack of the cavalry. Thousands of horses galloping down the slope, their hooves hammering against the ground, making it shake. The war down in the valley was still strangely still, as if they were all awaiting the charge.

Finally the enemy's soldiers seemed to find themselves. They quickly reformed themselves into ranks, shuffling about with their spears, trying to get themselves into defending positions as fast as they could. They just weren't fast enough. With what seemed like a _crash, _the cavalry thundered into the battle, killing all in its path.

Epone and Link were the first to reach the battle. The red stallion took a majestic leap over the first dark soldier, and then galloped over whomever stood in his way. Link used her sword, killing everything that came too near.

While this was happening, the infantry still found themselves shrinking in numbers. The enemy had closed in around them, and they were fighting for their lives. Including Sheik. He wrapped his chain around the throat of his enemy and swiftly strangled him. It wasn't until then he noticed the cavalry, thundering down the slope. He paused for a moment, standing up straight.

Around him his fellow soldiers were cheering, filled with hope. Sheik regarded them. It was strange; he himself could conjure no hope.

Around him, everyone started to fight on, filled with new strengths. But as Sheik stood there, he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. His knives felt extremely heavy in his palms, and he wondered for how long he had actually been fighting. Hours? It felt like days.

It was then he heard a roar, and at the same time, everything grew quiet around him. He turned, his blond hair, which was wet from sweat and blood, slapping his face as he did. The giant man Sheik had recognized as the enemy soldier's leader, Rásh, was stalking towards him, his pig-like eyes fastened on Sheik's frame. It seemed like the battle around them had faded away, forming a bubble around just the two of them.

As Rásh reached the Sheikah, he raised his enormous sword, Sheik raised his knives to block the blow. He was knocked to the ground, surprised by the power Rásh possessed. But he managed to get to his feet, just in time to duck another blow. As Rásh recovered his attack, raising his sword again, Sheik took the opportunity to take aim and throw one of his knives at him. It pierced into his arm, cleaving the flash of the giant man, but he appeared not to notice. Instead, it only served to anger him, and he roared loudly, before bringing his sword down again at Sheik.

---

Tzadek whinnied wildly as Gimel steered her out of the way from a soldier who tried to attack her. Thrusting his sword down at the soldier, Gimel managed to kill him, as his blade went straight through his throat. The farmer looked at the soldier as he fell, and then down at the bloody blade in his palm, surprised and slightly frightened by his actions.

Suddenly something hurled itself at him from behind, shoving him off Tzadek and landing on hard on the ground. Luckily, Gimel still had his sword out, and his attacker had managed to land straight on it and died. With mild panic, Gimel managed to shove the dead body off himself, before jumping to his feet. It was then he realized to his horror that Tzadek was gone.

"Tzadek!" he shrieked, looking around. Somehow, he was more frightened now than he had been killing those soldiers. What if something happened to his horse? What if she came in the way of the sword of a soldier?

"Tzadek!" he shrieked again, the desperation clear in his voice. As this happened, he failed to notice a soldier creeping up from behind. The soldier raised his sword, ready to strike. He was close now, close enough to slit the throat of Gimel…

There was sudden woosh, like that of wings flapping in the air, and something grabbed on to Gimel's arm, and then he suddenly found himself soaring through the air. He gave a surprised yelp, clinging on for dear life on whatever it was that had grasped his arm.

Looking up, he was shocked to see it was the angel he had seen merely a day before. Her flaring red hair was blowing wildly around her head, as she squinted down at him with brown eyes, as if she was surprised by her own actions.

"Who are you?" Gimel asked, but more intrigued than bewildered.

Chiyo, not really eager to explain who she was (um, yeah, about that, I tried to kill your best friend) or why she had saved him (I think you're cute and wouldn't want you dead) settled for saying,

"Don't talk," she snapped, a little more rude than she had intended. "You're heavy."

Gimel's eyes widened a little surprised, but nevertheless kept his mouth closed, until Chiyo put him down on a clear spot in the field. Chiyo landed opposite him, flattening her wings against her back.

Gimel was looking at her in wonder, and Chiyo suddenly felt very embarrassed.

"Why'd you save me?" he asked with a curious expression, but which Chiyo somehow mistook for suspicion.

She heaved a sigh. "Look, I know I tried to kill you friend, but I-"

She never got to finish her sentence though, as Gimel suddenly cried "Look out!" and pushed her away as an enemy soldier charged at her from behind. He missed, and Gimel surprised himself by thrusting his sword into his back and killing it.

Chiyo looked up at him from the ground. "Oh…. Thanks," she said a little awkwardly.

Gimel dared a smile at her. "Well, thanks for saving me earlier."

A moment of painful silence passed. Finally Chiyo returned the smile however.

"I'm… Chiyo, by the way."

---

Link and Epone was now right in the middle of the raging war. It was an utter chaos, no one could tell which side had the upper hand. Epone reared as an enemy soldier, half dead, hurled at the stallion's hooves, but Link swiftly thrust her sword through his skull.

She then tugged on the reins, pulling Epone to a halt, and turning him around, as she resumed what she had been doing the whole battle besides fighting: looking for Sheik. She knew he was here somewhere, but wherever she looked there were just blood and death.

But then, as she turned her head, something caught her eye. It was not Sheik, but a man, a large man. No, it was not a man, it was something else, almost troll-like. Little did Link know that it was Rásh she had spotted. But she did not care for the troll, as she spotted the one fighting it. Sheik!

Her heart seemed to be going in about a hundred miles a minute as she felt hope rise inside her. Sheik! He was alive, he was there…

Her smile faltered as she noticed her love's movements. He was tired, probably injured. How long had he been fighting here anyway? And Rásh… he was big, strong, and filled with power. Link felt all blood drain her face as she realized that Sheik might not survive that fight.

With desperate moves, Link kicked at Epone's sides. Immediately, he responded to shooting off in gallop towards the battle. But was it enough? Sheik was growing weaker and weaker by the seconds. But then, just at Link got ready to hurl herself at the troll fighting Sheik, something slammed hard into her from the right, and both she and Epone tumbled to the side. A dark soldier had attacked them both, but Link swiftly rolled out of the way for Epone's body, who instead landed on the enemy soldier, whose bones crushed under the weight of Epone. The stallion quickly then got to his feet, but stayed at Link's side.

The Heroine had scrambled to her knees, and quickly darted her gaze towards Sheik.

The Sheikah weakly thrust his knife at Rásh, but he pushed his hand away, sending the knife flying out of Sheik's hand. Then the troll proceeded to punch him at his face, and he stumbled back a couple of steps. But as Sheik managed to recover, as he prepared to attack, Rásh thrust his big sword through his stomach.

"NO!" Link was hardly aware that she had sucked in a breath and screamed. Sheik drew a breath, but it sounded more like a hiccup, as he stared at the blade penetrating his stomach. Link's heart seemed to stumble, and her breath suddenly tied up in her throat, but she was hardly aware of this as she watched Sheik, pale as ash, stumble to his right, and then his legs gave up and he collapsed.

There was a terrible woosh in Link's ears as she saw this. Her heart was trembling and she wasn't sure she was breathing. But then amidst the panic she felt, there was another sound. Laughter. Someone was laughing. She wrenched her eyes away from Sheik's lifeless form, and they landed on Rásh. He was laughing, like he found it all amusing.

Something inside Link then seemed to snap. Her heart started to drum with rage and she suddenly felt her whole body surge with power. She often found this kind of power inside her. The power of anger. Rage.

She found the power to get to her feet, and renewed her grip on the Master Sword. With a mad cry, she then rushed towards the troll. He hadn't noticed her, he was still laughing.

But he wasn't laughing a second later, when Link reached him, and drove her blade all the way through his leg. He gave a roar in pain, and stumbled to his side. But Link did not pause for this, she stalked after the man, her gaze dark as night. Rásh found the nearest weapon, which happened to be one of his own soldiers' blade, and used it to block Link's next blow. But she spun around, attacking him again. He managed to block it, but not very good. Link's fast attacks drove him backwards, since he was surprised by the sheer power in the girl. Finally, with a cry, Link's blow sent the blade out of Rásh's hands, and she thrust her sword through his stomach. But she didn't stop at that. Instead she quickly pulled back her blade and then swung around, cleaving her sword through the troll's neck. His body soon fell to the ground, dead, with his head landing a few meters away.

"Sheik!"

Link wasted no time and was at Sheik's side in a second. She kneeled by him, carefully raising his head to put it in her lap. The sword was sticking out in a sickening angle and the blood was trickling out where it made contact with the body, but somehow Sheik's chest was still rising and falling. Somehow, he was still alive.

His eyes fluttered open, but it was like he couldn't see. Then his gaze lanced on Link's face, and he said something. But it came out as a gurgle, as a tear of blood made it's way out the corner of his mouth.

"N-no," Link said, in an attempt at a soothing voice, but it cracked as tears fell down her cheeks. "Don't talk." A tear dropped down in Sheik's hair, but he didn't notice. Because he was fading away. _This can't be happening. It just can't!_

"I'm so sorry, Sheik," Link said in a trembling voice. "I'm so sorry…"

Sheik made another attempt to speak, and this time Link picked up something else beside the gurgle as more blood oozed out his mouth. "L-link…"

And then his eyelids fluttered close, his pulse growing fainter.

"No," Link said, "you can't die! You need to live.. I… I need you to live!"

But when Sheik didn't wake up and tell her it was all right, she soon broke down in sobs. She cradled his head in her lap, saying over and over again that she was sorry. She was still holding him as a few minutes later, two soldiers carrying a stretcher came over to them.

Slowly, they slid the unconscious Sheik out of Link's arms, and carefully laid him on the stretcher, and just as slowly they raised it, and soon they vanished towards the castle.

Left on the field was Link, still sitting on the ground, tears slowly running down her cheeks. She could hardly believe this. She had tried so hard to stay away from Sheik, to not love him, and now… now he was dying. And it was all her fault. That familiar numbness she had felt before crept over her again, and she finally looked up. All around her, soldiers were fighting on, killing each other. Why? It all seemed to pointless now. What did Link have to fight for now?

She knew she owed it to Hyrule. So with a heavy heart, she reached out to slowly grasp her fingers around the Master Sword lying in the trampled grass. Then with effort she rose to her feet and looked around the field. Then she rose her sword, getting ready to defend herself as one of the dark soldiers spotted her and charged at her.

-

The battle continued for many hours, but it soon showed that the Hylians were, thanks to the cavalry, outnumbering the enemy soldiers. Link, who had been fighting on and on, trying to forget her pain, soon realized that she had no strength left to give. And why should she? Why not lie down and die right here?

But it was then the Master Sword suddenly gave a tremble in her palm and she snapped back. It was giving of a subtle glow, and Link paused, looking at it for a moment.

"Don't give up, Link," a voice said behind her. She wheeled around, and found herself staring at the Sages, who were all standing in front of her. How they had come was beyond Link.

"Why not?" she asked of Gilraen, who was the one who had made comment.

"Because it is not over yet," the Sage continued as he looked out at the battle field. Then his piercing blue eyes shot back to Link. "Your part is not over."

"Why have you come?" Link asked them, suddenly feeling very tired.

"Zelda was to call us," Gliraen continued, a slightly worried expression on his smooth features, "but she has not yet done so. We were to help with our powers, but we could not see what was happening. No doubt some evil device of Ganondorf which caused that. But now the Master Sword called us, and it seems we have arrived just in time."

Gilraen paused, looking at the battle once again with a grim expression. "Step back, Link. We will take care of the rest."

As Link heard this, as the heavy responsibility was lifted of her shoulders, she almost immediately felt her knees give with, and she sunk to the ground. Then her vision clouded over, and the last thing she saw before passing out was the Sages, arms outstretched and a bright light drowning the whole field…

---

And so it came that the battle before the walls of Hyrule ended, around evening. The sages managed to wipe the entire Hyrule Field clean of Ganondorf's soldiers, leaving the Hylian soldiers unscathed. Hyrule had suffered a terrible blow, but had survived, finally rid of threats.

The three friends, Link, Sheik and Zelda ended up unconscious after the battle, and was currently lying in separate room within the castle. Hyrule dared not celebrate its victory until they knew whether their beloved heroes were to survive. Therefore the country was eerily silent, awaiting the outcome of it all…

* * *

**Soo… what do you think? What happened to Sheik! And Link! And Zelda! I hope the suspense is unbearable, because that's how it's supposed to be. All so that you'll write me lovely long reviews! …right?**

**PS What do you think of Gimel and Chiyo? They're a little attracted to each other, don't you think? Do you think they should be together? **


	17. Dawn of a New Day

**Alright, before you start, I've got two things to say. 1) Thank you all SOOO much for the reviews!! I've got several long and lovely reviews for the last chapter and it made me so happy! You're all reaaal sweet readers, ya know? **

**And then 2) I did it. I honestly don't believe it, but I actually did it. I finished War of Shadow! It's the longest story I have ever written, its a hundred pages long in Word… in size 10 as well! Gosh, I'm proud over myself :P **

**So everyone… here it is, the last, final, ending chapter of War of Shadow!**

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**The Heroine: War of Shadow**

_Dawn of a New Day_

A harsh wind swept over Hyrule Field. Three days had passed since the end of the war, and the strong winds that frequently passed through the valley had now finally succeeded in blowing away the stench of death. But the country was still destroyed. What used to be green lush grass was now dirt, trampled up by thousands of men. The trees around the valley had been burnt, especially the ones to the south, where one could see all the way passed the trees and past Hyrule. The city of Hyrule had stayed intact however, since the enemy never succeeded in passing the wall. Not that they hadn't tried. There were holes and burn marks over the white wall, and huge chunks of stone lay scattered over the field from it.

Another wind passed through the valley, traveled up over the city and over the hill before the castle. It grabbed hold of the dark blue dress of a figure standing upon the brink, staring out over the field. Zelda sighed. Her hair, which she hadn't bothered to make anything of, was left down and blowing around her grim face. She was the one to recover the fastest out of the three friends since her wound wasn't dangerous to begin with. It had almost healed now.

But that was not the worries of Zelda's mind. Her pale blue gaze was fastened on the field, watching the ruined land. She knew her people could rebuild the walls and buildings they had built themselves, but what about the grass? What about the trees? Could they rebuild what the Goddesses had planted in this world long before the Hylians arrived?

Shedding a single tear for her troubles, Zelda then bent her head in a silent prayer. It couldn't hurt to ask the Goddesses for help. But then, just as she thought that, there was a bright blue light in the valley, like a lightning, filling up the entire valley. Then as soon as it had come, it disappeared again. And as Zelda dared to open her eyes again, she could see before her eyes the dirt giving way for new sprouts of grass, the green tip just visible above the brown earth. The dead trees changed in color, from a blackening brown to a lush green, like that of young tree sprouts.

A smile crept onto Zelda's face. "Thank you…"

A sound behind her caught her attention and she turned. Link was treading down the path, looking hollow. Her face was pale and it was now suddenly visible how hard the two years outside Hyrule had been. She was thin, like she hadn't eaten well. But perhaps that was because she hadn't been eating for several days, when she had been unconscious.

But none of this mattered to Zelda at this moment. She was just so relieved to see her friend alive at all that she quickly gathered her skirts and rushed over to Link. "Link!" she breathed relieved and threw her arms around the blonde girl.

"Zelda." Link sighed relieved as well, and hugged her back tightly. "You're awake."

Zelda parted from her and smiled warmly. The last time they had seen each other was back at the Seal of the Six Sages, with Chase.

"I would ask you what has happened to you since we last saw each other…" Zelda began, but like she figured she saw Link's smile immediately falter, "…but I do not think anyone of us wishes so relive those moments." Then a warm sparkle crept into her pale eyes again. "I'm just so glad you are alive."

But her words only served to sadden Link more, who wrenched her gaze away from the Queen and looked out over the city below Hyrule. People were going about with their business, but a strange silence lay over the grounds. They did not yet know that two of their heroes had awakened. Zelda had instructed the castle court not to tell anyone. Not yet.

As always, Zelda read her friend like an open book. "I have done everything in my power since I woke up…" she started, but paused as she saw tears immediately well up in Link's eyes. Apparently, this was not the words she wanted to hear. Nonetheless, Zelda continued with some difficulty. There seemed to be a lump in her throat. "…but I think only the Goddesses now have the power to decide over his fate."

Tears ran down Link's cheeks like rivers, and she was unable to stand up. She sunk to the ground, sobbing.

"It's- it's all my fault," she confessed, but she was crying so hard she was almost unable to speak. Zelda kneeled beside her. "If I- If I hadn't said… If I hadn't told him…" Link continued, her desperation and sorrow so raw that it broke Zelda's heart to see, almost more than the knowledge that Sheik was dying. "If I hadn't told him… he would have been here… he would be alright… h-he would b-be a-alright…" Link continued, her tears completely blinding her as the sobs took over and she couldn't speak anymore. At this point Zelda took her head in her arms, pulling her towards her, comforting her friend. She leaned her cheek to the top of Link's head, unaware that tears was spilling from her own pale blue eyes.

---

"Looking at this…" Gimel started, looking around himself with bright green eyes, "it seems like none of it has happened." He paused, waiting for a reply, but when it didn't he continued. "The war, I mean."

Still no reply.

Finally Gimel wrenched his gaze away from what he been viewing –which was the city, since he had been standing in the middle of the town square, gazing at the still intact and white buildings which looked unaffected by the war – and turned to Kratos.

The man was sitting on a stone bench, his eyes fastened upon the castle on the large hill above the city. The southern warrior looked worried, his brown eyes stormy and his face grim. It appeared as if the man had not heard Gimel at all.

"Kratos?" Gimel asked tentatively.

The man still had his gaze fastened on the castle. "…It's been three days," he said. "And no news of Sheik, Link… or Zelda."

Suddenly Gimel felt extremely guilty. For a moment, he had forgotten all about his friends, which he had no idea of if they were alive or dead.

Gimel moved away from the buildings and stood beside his friend. "Do you think they…are okay?"

Finally Kratos broke his gaze and dropped his eyes to the ground, running a hand through his black hair, shuffling the front stripes, bright in their reddish color. "I don't know," he sighed. He seemed extremely worried, even more worried than Gimel. And that was saying something, since this was Kratos after all.

Gimel slowly frowned. He had long suspected something which he hadn't dared to mention to the man in front of him, but there were sometimes signs that he might be right. So he suddenly decided to push his luck.

"It's awful," he started, watching Kratos intently. "I mean, I wonder what will happen to Hyrule if Zelda…if their Queen… would die."

As confirming his suspicions, Kratos' face visibly paled. Gimel raised an eyebrow.

"...You like her, don't you? Zelda, I mean?"

He couldn't stop the words coming from his mouth, and he instantly regretted it. But when Kratos' expression didn't change into one of denial, Gimel realized he had been right. Since he had come to know Kratos he had often visited and been with the Queen and therefore often talked about her. And the words he had used had only been words describing her beauty and kindness. The few times Gimel had actually seen the Queen he had been there with Kratos, and the two seemed to share a strange friendship… like a bond. Of course, Gimel knew that Kratos had been attracted to Link when they met. And maybe Link was attracted to him in some way. But that was it, just attraction. Something used to hide Kratos' real feelings. Which Gimel had guessed, and been right, was about Zelda.

A smile tugged at the corner of Kratos' mouth. "D'you think she'd fall for me?" he asked him. "A thief from the outskirts of this world? Hardly."

Gimel was about to open his mouth to reassure him that she would, and perhaps already had, but Kratos interrupted him.

"So what about you… and this assassin?"

Gimel immediately flushed into a deep color of crimson. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, I think you do," Kratos countered, the grin widening on his lips.

"I do not like Chiyo," Gimel said stubbornly, folding his arms in an attempt to look determined.

"Whatever you say, cowboy," Kratos grinned. Then he noticed someone behind Gimel's right shoulder and gave a greeting smile.

"Well, evenin' Chiyo," he greeted.

A look of panic immediately entered Gimel's face and he quickly reached up to flatten out his tangled and unruly hair. Then he spun around, only to discover that Chiyo was in fact not there and that Kratos had fooled him.

Kratos barking laughter behind him seemed to confirm this as well.

"Sure, you don't like her," the man said, sounding very much unconvinced.

---

It was the morning of the fourth day since the end of the battle and there was still no news of the three heroes. Although Zelda and Link had recovered almost completely, no one in the castle was allowed to spread the word. That because one of them was still lingering between life… and death.

The morning sun sent a bright ray of light into the otherwise shady room, through the opened window. A soft breeze entered through the window, sending the thin white curtains dancing. The wind passed through the room and caused Sheik's blond hair to flutter slightly over his forehead. His eyes were closed, where he lay in the bed, and he had not moved or shifted in any way for four days, since the moment he had fallen on the battlefield. There were bandages all round his stomach, which had succeeded in stopping the blood flow. The Sheikah was now in a coma.

Beside the bed in the shadow sat Link, watching how the sun fell on Sheik's expressionless face. She was silent, wishing for his eyes to open. Wishing for those red eyes to look at her again, to see through her, like only he could. For him to touch her with his fingers, those hands that had healing touch…

Since the day before, when she had woken up, she had never left his side, save for when she met Zelda. She had not eaten or slept. Much like Sheik had done when he had guarded her room from the assassin, she remembered and couldn't help to smile softly.

She could simply not believe how stupid she had been. How selfish she had been. What did it matter if she could not love Sheik, if he was not even there? Of course she loved Sheik, and nothing in the world could change it. Not if he died, or if she did. Too bad, she realized with a heavy heart, that it took to Sheik dying for her to realize it.

She sat silent for a while, feeling the tears well up in her eyes, feeling the lump in her throat and the tickle in her nose. Sheik's chest kept rising and falling faintly, like every breath he drew was a miracle.

She gave a sudden smile, despite the tears she so desperately held back. "Zelda told me…. You can hear me, even though you are you're not…" she paused, searching for the right word. "…_here_." Then the smile suddenly faded from her lips, and a tear found it's way down her cheek. "She also told me, that it is now up to the Goddesses whether you live… or die."

She wiped the tear of her cheek, gathering herself for what she was going to say next. "But even though it hurts… even thought I might lose you, Sheik…" she looked at him, grazing his lifeless fingers, taking hold of his hand. "I want you to know that I love you. I love you, Sheik." Here the tears suddenly streamed down her face, but she did not sob, nor did her voice falter.

"I always have… and I _always _will."

Her voice, that had seemed so loud against the silent and cold walls faded away. There was nothing more Link could do or say now. She had expressed her feelings in those words. And… there was now nothing more she could do.

She gently squeezed his hand, looking at his handsome tanned face. It was then she realized that she was never going to see that devilishly handsome smile again, that she had fallen for so long ago. His mysterious appearance… she was never going to learn what was behind it. Never was she going to see him again, kiss him again…

This was it. This was good-bye.

Her eyes dropped to his hand, which she kept caressing with her thumb. Her thumb that seemed so small compared to his strong hands. She stopped caressing it, but her hand remained in his. What would she do now? There was simply no going on after Sheik. Her eyes drifted of to the window. Outside, people lived on, going on with their business. People that did not know her, or Sheik. Could she live like that, like nothing had happened? Could she forget him? _Oh, Goddess. I cannot do this. There is no going on… _

She did not know why she did what she did next. It was just an impulse, that's what it was. Her eyes landed on his stomach, and under all those bandages, his wound. Carefully she reached out with her hand – not the one holding Sheik's hand – and gently grazed his stomach. Then she placed her hand right over his wound, and let it lie there. She watched it for a moment, drifting off in sad, numb thoughts. Until she felt something faint, by her other hand.

Her eyes snapped wide open and she did not dare to breathe. What… Had she imagined it? But then it happened again. Sheik's hand tightened around her own.

Link couldn't help it, but she gave a surprised yelp and jumped back, she was so startled. But her hand remained in his, and his hand seemed strong and live again, and…warm. And it was squeezing her hand. Slowly, Link let her eyes drift from his hand, up his arm, to then settle on his face. She could not believe it. Color quickly returned to his face, and then…

His eyelids fluttered open, and his piercing red eyes were looking at her again. Seeing her. Link's heart seemed to be going a mile a minute, and she instinctively tightened her hand around his weak grip.

"Your fingers…" he murmured in a hoarse voice, and Link quickly moved closer to him, leaning down to hear his soft tone better.

"Do you know they have healing touch?"

---

"I can't believe," Chiyo started, putting her hands on her hips as she gazed out over the field within the gates of the Lon Lon Ranch, "that this place made it."

She spun around, looking around the buildings that too were intact. "I mean, look at it. Completely unharmed!" She flung out with her arms as if to prove her point, but she already had. Gimel and Kratos, who had entered behind her were as surprised as she was. Gimel, with Tzadek in a bridle beside him, looked at his ranch in awe.

"Oh, Goddess," he breathed, "it survived."

It was the first time any of them were back at the ranch since the war. Gimel dropped Tzadek's rope as he walked forth to the gate before the field where his herd of horses used to graze. Before he let them go, that is. He leaned to the gate, sighing slightly. He couldn't help to feel a bit depressed. What was he supposed to do know? He had no horses. Nothing to live on.

Gimel hardly noticed Chiyo coming up beside him, leaning to the gate as well. Kratos noticed it though. "I'll… go and see if any of the houses got damaged," he excused himself and disappeared surprisingly fast.

A moment of silence passed. Finally Chiyo spoke. "What are you going to do now?" she asked, voicing his thoughts.

He gave a light sigh, oddly not panicking over her presence. "I don't know," he confessed. Then he gave her a hopeful smile. "I guess I'll start over. Breed a new herd," he said, looking at Tzadek with a fond smile. Chiyo followed his gaze and smiled too. The golden horse snorted, slightly surprised by the sudden attention.

"I'll help you, if you want." Chiyo said in a nervous voice, not looking at Gimel as her red hair hung down her face to cover her burning cheeks.

He looked at her, a smile spreading on his lips. "…I'd like that," he said.

They smiled at each other for another moment or two until Chiyo suddenly found herself. "Well, I have to go," she said, though she looked like she really didn't want to. But then she flapped her wings, and soared off into the sky and towards the castle city.

Little did they know that Kratos was watching them from a window in the farm house. A grin had been resting on his lips, but now it slowly faded. Why did he feel depressed all of a sudden? Was it, he realized in horror, that Gimel's words possibly might have got to him? He hadn't realized it… but he really was alone. His people had chased him away, but he had hardly cared. He'd always been a loner. He could live alone. Or could he?

His eyes drifted up towards the castle, which was visible in the horizon. Was Gimel right? _Did _he like Zelda?

With mild horror he realized that the farmer was right. He did care for someone.

Her immediately narrowed his eyes at Gimel down on the ground.

"That stupid cowboy is making me go soft…" he muttered disgruntled, turning away to leave.

Down at the ground, Gimel sighed, looking after Chiyo, until he felt something buff at his side. He turned his bright eyes to Tzadek, who tossed her slender head friendly, her cream-colored mane dancing around her neck as she did. The farmer reached out to scratch her between her ears.

"Well, girl," he said with a slight sigh, "I guess it's just you and me again, huh?"

"…Well, last time, I believed someone helped you out with the ranch… but if you want to ignore him, that's fine."

The soft voice startled Gimel quite a bit, and he spun around so fast he nearly tripped. He would have, too, if Tzadek hadn't buffed at his back to make him keep his balance.

"Sheik!" he exclaimed surprised. Before him stood the Sheikah, taking slight support at his grey mare Uraeas since he was not fully healed yet. He looked tired, but other than that, he looked healthy as ever. His skin was tanned and his blond hair fell in a unruly state over his head, falling into his blood red eyes, which were alit with a lively sparkle.

"What- I- but you-," Gimel spluttered and couldn't quite decide what do say. "I thought you were dying!" he finally blurted out, and then winced at his own harsh words. But then he narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute, are you supposed to be riding? Or walking? Or even being outside the castle?"

"Probably not," Sheik said, offering a crooked smile. "Which possibly makes your earlier statement true, since I'm not healthy enough to help you with the ranch now."

Gimel opened his mouth to reply, but Sheik beat him to it. "_But," _he shot in, "as I made my way over here, I met someone who I think is interested in helping you too."

The Sheikah used his trademark mysterious smile as Gimel frowned. But then Sheik stepped aside as a high-pitched whinny echoed through the ranch.

At first Gimel's features seemed baffled, but then a look of extreme joy entered his face as a small and red horse with pure white mane galloped past Sheik and towards the farmer.

"Angel!" Gimel exclaimed as the little stallion came to a halt before him. The horse pranced to his right, snorting happily, and Gimel moved to fondly embrace the animal. But he quickly rethought his decision as Angel snapped after his fingers with ears laid back, and then set of in gallop down the field in the ranch, whinnying wildly.

"Well," Gimel sighed happily, blowing at his tender fingers as he looked at Sheik who was grinning, "I guess everything's back to normal again, eh?"

---

The stars twinkled brightly in the Hylian night sky, enjoying a moment of silence. Then there was a sudden explosion of color, and the silence disappeared. It was replaced with cheers and more fireworks. The city below Hyrule castle was filled with people, all celebrating the victory of the war. A week had now passed since the end of the war, and the news were finally out the three heroes that had fallen were now alright. Therefore, a party in honor of victory was held in the middle of the city. The night sky was lit up with fires and fireworks. Not a sad face could be found. Laughter was heard everywhere. The feeling of joy surged through the whole city.

People who were laughing out of sheer joy humbly bowed to Zelda as she passed them. She settled for stopping by one of the fires. She felt cold in her raspberry colored satin dress. Her hair was up, fastened in an elegant and beautiful bun, but unfortunately brought more chill to her bare neck. She wished she had brought something to warm her with, but apparently she had to settle with staying close to the fire.

She looked around at her people, watching them celebrate. She felt happy for them, so extremely happy. She had managed to help them through another crisis, and they had survived. They had won. But as happy as the faces were, as happy as she felt for them… she herself was not entirely happy.

For some time now she had wondered if this was who she was destined to be. Their Queen, leading them…alone? Was she to be their lonely leader?

"You look cold," a deep voice said softly beside her. The Queen turned, and saw Kratos standing behind her. He was looking very handsome in his beige trousers and half-opened black shirt. The red stripes of his hair fell into his soft brown eyes.

"Do I?" Zelda asked, her voice a little faint, still a little lost in her thoughts earlier.

"You're shivering," Kratos replied with a crooked smile.

At this Zelda snapped back from her thoughts and looked at him. Then she suddenly realized something. "I'm sorry," she suddenly said.

He seemed baffled, and didn't quite understand what she was talking about. Luckily, she continued. "I heard you were arrested for being the traitor. I'm so sorry."

A smile crept back onto his face. "Zelda," he started, almost laughing at how sorry she seemed and yet he had forgotten all about it. "It's alright. I don't care-"

"No, it's not alright," Zelda continued. "You might be from a people that has a reputation of being thieves… but you are still the most honorable man I have ever met."

Kratos was looking a little surprised by her sudden speech, and to tell the truth, so was Zelda. But then Kratos suddenly held out his arm, which caused Zelda to frown.

"…you're still shivering," he explained with a smile.

Zelda realized he was right, and moved closer to him. He wrapped his arm around her, warming her more than any blanket. And together they stood in the night, watching the fireworks.

-

Link stood in the shadows, watching the party before her with a slight smile. She could see her friends, Zelda and Kratos, watching the fireworks together, and not far from them she spotted Gimel and Chiyo, who were talking and laughing about something. She felt her heart go all warm and fuzzy over it all. She really couldn't believe how good everything had turned out. The war was over, all the threats to Hyrule were gone, no one was suffering anymore….

So why did she feel so troubled?

Not standing to see everyone so happy, Link fled the scene by going up the stairs to the great stone wall before the city. There she stopped, looking out at the night sky. Somehow, the world grew quiet around her, the sounds of the fireworks died away, and the silence of the night took over.

There was something wrong. But the worst part was that she couldn't put her finger on what. There was something… something that had happened during all the chaos that had been the war. Link suddenly raised her eyes to the sky above her. Something that had happened in the sacred realm, while she fought Ganondorf.

She did not know what had happened. But if she was here, alive, that had to mean that Ganondorf was gone…right? But she couldn't remember. She remember entering his chamber, starting to fight him, then… black. Had she killed him? Of course she had killed him, she told herself. But… if she had, where had he then gone?

Last time she defeated him, his spirit was locked away in the sacred realm. So what now, if she had defeated his spirit? Had he died? Had he disappeared? All these questions made Link uneasy. She wasn't so sure she had defeated him at all.

Because the last thing she remembered, before everything was a blur, was that Ganondorf had her at his mercy. She closed her eyes, trying to recall the horrible fight.

_Pain. _

_At least, that's what she felt as Ganondorf suddenly grabbed hold of her shirt, hitting her square in her left temple with his fist. Without a word, he loosened his fingers around her shirt, and she slumped to the ground, and this time, she didn't get up. _

_Ganondorf floated down to the platform, towering above her broken frame, looking at her indifferently. He had succeeded in angering her to the point where she lost control of herself and he had easily grabbed the upper hand of the battle. _

_Now that she was weak enough… he could make his move. _

_He extended his large foot, pushing her so that she lay on her back, and he could see that she was still alive and also, conscious. Good. He couldn't afford to kill her. Then his efforts would be wasted. _

_Her fading dark blue eyes rested upon him, not even bothering to muster the rage in them she always saved for him. They were emotionless, and one would think Link was dead, if she was not breathing in ragged breaths. _

'…_What a pitiful excuse for a Heroine you are,' Ganondorf suddenly said. It wasn't a sarcastic comment or tease, it was just a plain statement. _

'…_save me the mockery and just kill me,' Link croaked, her voice faint. It was no use fighting anymore. Her hope had left her. Her last moment had come, and yet all she could think about… was Sheik. Now she would never get the chance to tell him she was wrong. That she really loved him. _

'_I am not going to kill you,' Ganondorf stated flatly. _

Link snapped back. If that was what she remembered… that she had been almost dead… how is it that she was standing here right now? And how was it that they had won the war at all? And then there were those words Ganondorf had said, _I am not going to kill you. _

Why not? The questions were almost enough to cause Link's head to explode, but instead she closed her eyes again, trying to remember every last piece of the fight…

"_You killed me two years ago, and yet you see, my soul survived. I am still alive. We can't kill each other,' Ganondorf continued. _

'_What does it matter?' Link asked wearily. Somehow, all this information was such a strain on her. _

'_It matters because I want you **dead**. Permanently,' Ganondorf bit back. _

_Link gave a grin, despite her fatigue. 'But you will never kill me. Because like you now said, it is a battle between our souls.' _

'_Indeed,' Ganondorf grinned, but his next words caused Link's blood to go cold. 'But I've found a way around that.' _

Link's eyes snapped open. _But I've found a way around that. _

What? What way? What had he done? What had he done to her? _What!? _

"You're not really in a celebrating mood tonight, are you?" a soft voice asked her.

Link gave a shriek and spun around, a hand on her heart which seemed to be drumming by the speed of light. She had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed Sheik coming up behind her. She sunk down on a large boulder of stone, since her legs seemed shaky, but not only because Sheik had startled her. She suspected her previous thoughts had something to with it too.

Sheik noticed it too. Her heart gave a flutter as she realized that he would always see through her. He kneeled in front of her.

"What's the matter?" he asked worriedly.

Link looked into his red eyes, finding comfort in them. She was safe now. She had Sheik, they had won the war. What did it matter what Ganondorf had done to her?

"I… honestly don't know," Link confessed, and she took his hands, caressing them with her thumbs. "But I don't think it matters anymore. Everything is… actually alright," she said, lighting up in a smile.

"…so you are going to stay?" Sheik asked in a soft voice, and Link couldn't help to frown. Of course she would stay, and she was about to say so, when she remembered what she had told everyone when she had first come back to Hyrule. She was so angry and sad that she had just wanted to stay for the war, and then leave first thing again. As Link thought back on it, it all felt so very long ago. She had changed to much.

"Sheik…" Link started, feeling like her heart would break from all the guilt she felt, "leaving Hyrule…and you, was the worst mistake I have ever made. I'm so sorry-"

But Sheik cracked a loving smile and he took his hand to cup her chin. "I don't need any apologies," he said with the softest voice he had. "I only need you. Like you said…everything is actually alright."

And then he kissed her. And Link really did feel like it was going to be alright. No, it already _was_ alright. Everything was as it should be, there was no war, and she was in Sheik's arms, kissing him. And his kisses made her feel so cherished and wanted that nothing could go wrong. Absolutely nothing.

But then he suddenly parted from her, so sudden that Link almost tumbled forth, but she grabbed on to the rock she was sitting on at the last moment. Sheik was still close, his lips so close to hers that all she had to do was to reach out and she would be kissing him again…

But then he opened his mouth to speak. "So if you are going to stay, and everything is alright now…," he started, his voice nothing more than a whisper, but he didn't have to speak any louder. "… I should probably ask you this now, before everything goes wrong again."

Link laughed a little at his last words, because he was probably right. Things would probably go to hell again. Sometime. But absolutely not now. Then she remembered the first part of his words and she knitted her eyebrows together in confused curiosity.

"Ask me what?" she wondered, but what she really wondered why he was talking and not kissing her, because he was still so close, still using a whispering tone when speaking.

But then to her disappointment, he pulled away even more, so that he could see more of her, but still kneeling before her.

"Link… will you marry me?"

Link blinked at him. Had he just… asked her to marry him?

"Will you be my wife?"

To marry him? Be his wife? So then…he loved her. He loved her! _He loves me! He really does! _Her mind instantly flushed over in moments with him, like when she really thought he was going to die. When she had imagined a life without him. _There is no going on without him... _And now, now he was asking her to spend the rest of her life with him! To marry him! _Because he loves me, he does! _

Then she realized that she had been silent for several moments. _Goddess, answer him you fool! _

"Y-yes," she blurted so fast that she succeeded in stumbling on the one-syllable word, but she didn't care. "Yes, I'll marry you. I- There's nothing else in the world I'd-"

But she didn't finish her rambling. That was because Sheik had cupped her face with his hands again and kissed her.

-

-

**THE END**

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**Well, folks, there you have it. The End! It's a bit sad, isn't it? I mean, I've worked on this story for I don't know how long, and now it has finally come to an end… -sniff-**

**Oh, well, enough with the emotional stuff, and on to the next things. Which are a) gimme loads and loads of reviews :P, and b) the sequel. Again. **

**Yes, as you've probably figured, there will be yet another story about Link and Sheik and everyone else. So ha! You're stuck with me for another story, Mohaha! **

**Anyhow, as you've probably already guessed, the plot will involve the events that happened up in the Sacred Realm with Link and Ganondorf. He did something to her, but she can't remember. Strange, huh??? I hope so. Because you'll find out what happens in that story. **

**So folks, look out for my next story… The Heroine: Twin Soul! (at least, that's what I think I'll name it… ) **

**P.S Don't forget those long reviews now! **

**Hugs and kisses//Lou**


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